Web of Fear
by Loopstagirl
Summary: When an evil sorcerer returns for revenge on Merlin, will Arthur be able to save him or is he walking into a trap? Who will rescue the rescuer?
1. Prologue

**my first fanfic, so reviews would be really great, so let me know how i'm doing!**

**Many many thanks to MagicbyMerlin for all of thier amazing help and advice in this. And for the amazing dream sequence. THANK YOU!!!!**

Merlin's eyes fluttered and eventually opened, slowly becoming accustomed to the gloomy murk of the cave. As his vision cleared he discovered he was lying flat on his back and looking up at the roof of a cave, stalactites hanging down and bathed in an eerie pale blue glow that seemed to emanate from the damp rock itself.

He sat up hesitantly.

It was almost too cold to bear inside the tunnel as he looked down each passageway, his breath coming out in vivid white clouds, and he had to pull his thin jacket closer around his shoulders to savour what little warmth he had left. His ears began to go red and his lips blue with the piercing cold and he knew he had better start moving or he _would_ freeze to death.

He climbed slowly to his feet, finding his legs to be stiff. He wondered just how long he had been lying there. The passageway to the left looked dark, as did the one to the right but the former defiantly looked less shadowy so cautiously he began to stumble down the shaft way, rubbing his arms to try and circulate his limbs and melt the blood that was almost freezing solid in his veins.

After a few minutes of drunkenly blundering along the almost pitch black tunnel he stopped dead, hearing a small languid whine echoing like a ghostly whisper around the caves. It chilled him to the bone and made a prickling shudder sweep up his spine but somehow the voice that caused it was strangely familiar.

He heard it again, a soft, torpid moan of pain. Then there was a small laugh that increased in pitch every second it rebounded off the sides of the tunnel.

"Merlin…" A voice whispered.

Suddenly the murky gloom was gone and in seconds was re-placed by an almost blinding light. It disappeared almost as soon as it had come to reveal a small cavern with two figures in the centre. Merlin blanched as he recognized one of them as Claton. Fear enveloped him at the sight of the dreaded sorcerer but his terror was severely overwhelmed by shock as he saw whom the other shadowy figure belonged to.

There was no mistaking the blonde hair and broad shoulders to belong to anyone but Arthur.

On the hard ground the prince was, lying in a pool of his own blood, a sword embedded in his heart. It looked so wrong to see such a large object protruding from the human body. The sight made Merlin almost throw up.

Arthur was whining softly to himself – the source of the groans, but as he shifted painfully on the cold floor he caught sight of Merlin and subsided into a choking splutter as he tried to call for help. The pitiful noise tugged at Merlin's heart and he thought he was about to pass out from sheer horror.

Claton spun round on his heels and his eyes burned into Merlin's own. The sorcerer began to snigger; a horrible menacing noise, and slowly he began to fade, gradually disappearing and his mirthless laughter whispering away into the gloom of the cave.

Arthur tried to pull himself over to Merlin who was standing stock still, unable to move, paralysed with the shock and fear of seeing his friend in such a way.

"Merlin…" Arthur croaked again with a broken voice, his azure coloured eyes dull with pain and rolling in their sockets, glazed over with a film of pain.

Before he realized he was doing so, Merlin stumbled over to the prince, falling over as a series of torturing thoughts thrummed inside his head, causing him to crash to the ground next to the prince, shaking with not only cold but terror, terror at the concept of his friend dying. Merlin knew he was going to die. How could _anyone_ survive such an attack as a sword driven into his heart?

He managed to drag himself to a sitting position and knelt by Arthur's side, gripping his hand as the prince coughed with a spasm that wracked his form.

"Merlin…" Arthur whispered with difficulty, his nails digging hard into Merlin's hand.

"I'm here." Merlin replied as tears welled up in his eyes and tumbled down his pale cheeks.

"Mer…" The prince croaked but his voice disappeared as his eyes rolled over again and he ceased breathing with a small whimper.


	2. Chapter 1

_Where was Merlin?_

Arthur stood looking out of the window in his room, one foot resting lightly on the sill and his hand cupping his handsome chin. This was the third time that week that Merlin had failed to turn up to work on time. If he wasn't so effective at doing his jobs (not that Arthur would tell him that), then he would have been long gone. But this constant habit of never turning up on time was really starting to irritate Arthur. He didn't like to admit it to himself, but there was something about Merlin that Arthur couldn't quite figure out. It was like he was hiding something, something big and Arthur felt quite put out by it. Being the crown prince of Camelot, Arthur was used to everyone practically falling over themselves to help him out or tell him something when he asked. Yet with Merlin, it was different.

After waiting another ten minutes for Merlin to turn up, Arthur decided to go and look for his manservant…again. Although 'look' wasn't quite the right way of putting it, for he knew exactly where he would find the dark haired, blue eyed boy. It was more like going to fetch him, giving Arthur the perfect opportunity to annoy him again. With the constant rows between either himself and Morgana or his father, Arthur found winding Merlin up to be a good way to release his pent up frustration. That and the expression on Merlin's face was priceless…

Pounding on Gaius's door with a clenched fist, Arthur heard the crash of something falling before the slow, heavy footsteps of the ageing physician. The door creaked open and Gaius's face appeared in the gap.

"Tell Merlin that he's late again. His jobs are not going to do themselves and I haven't the time to go chasing after servants for the rest of my life." Arthur told him. This wasn't technically true and if he was honest, Arthur didn't mind chasing after Merlin. He hadn't many true friends and although they were always sniping at each other, Arthur knew that a bond stronger than anything before was beginning to be formed. It was just a shame that it wasn't there yet.

Gaius opened the door wider, a clear invitation to the prince to come in. Arthur stepped through the doorway and saw a shattered phial on the floor. That explained the crashing sound. What it didn't explain is why it was dropped in the first place, Gaius was usually so careful with any and all of his belongings. In fact, in the whole of the time Arthur had known Gaius, he couldn't recall seeing him drop anything. Unless, of course it wasn't him who had dropped it. There was someone else living in these chambers, someone whom was _slightly_more accidental.

As if Arthur's thoughts had flown out of his head and up the stairs to that certain somebody's room, Merlin came charging out, down the stairs two at a time, slipping on the bottom step and almost falling over himself. He was still pulling on his beaten brown jacket as he ran but when he saw that Arthur had come in, stopped dead.

"Arthur," he said, as if surprised to see the prince, "I'm on my way, honest!"

Arthur raised his eyebrows in his classical way, seeing straight through Merlin. Merlin felt the look and glanced away, not looking the other boy in the eye. Turning on his heel, Arthur walked out of the physician's chambers, only nodding to Gaius as he passed and called over his shoulder to Merlin.

"Tell Gaius that my father wants to see him."

Merlin opened his mouth in confusion. Surely there was no need to repeat something that Gaius had obviously heard himself. Before he could say anything, however, Gaius nodded at him and rolled his eyes towards the doorway, a clear indication that he shouldn't keep Arthur waiting any longer.

The prince was halfway down the corridor by the time Merlin caught up with him. Without saying a word, Arthur led the way back to his chambers. By staying slightly ahead of Merlin, he was able to hide the smile that played across his mouth when he thought about how his servant was going to react when he saw what was in store.

Pushing the door open with one hand, Arthur entered his room and once again took up position by the window, only this time facing the door so he could see Merlin's face. It was definitely worth it.

Merlin looked around the room in horror. All of the draws and cupboards had been emptied and their contents strewn across the floor. At first, Merlin wondered what on earth could have happened to create such a mess. Then he saw the prince's face and the slightly sadistic grin spreading from ear to ear. Typical. Just because he was late _again_ doesn't mean that he had to go to this extent to prove his point.

"Prat." Merlin muttered under his breath, not quite loud enough for Arthur to hear what he said. He crossed the threshold into the room and looked at the prince expectantly. He thought he knew what was coming next and Arthur didn't make him wait long.

"Get it done, Merlin. And I want it done quickly, within the hour. I need some sword practice and I'm free in one hour. Meet me in the training field then." Arthur crossed his room and went to leave but as he reached the door, he turned back and said, "And whatever you do, don't be late." With that, Arthur left the room, shutting the door behind him and then set off, knowing that his father was waiting to discuss the matter of the knights with him.

Merlin waited until he heard Arthur's footsteps die away and turned back to face the mess. He smiled softly as he regarded the room, thinking about the state of his own. Double-checking that no one was coming; Merlin took a deep breath and in a second his eyes turned golden. All of the clothes and odds and ends that were littered across the floor rose into the air gracefully and began to put themselves neatly away in the correct cupboards. After only five minutes, Merlin was done and the room far neater than he had ever seen it before. Crossing the room to shut a stray cupboard door, Merlin took up Arthur's previous position by the window, glancing out just in time to see Gwen hurrying across the damp courtyard (it had been raining a little), her red cloak streamed behind her, making it look like she was almost flying. Merlin stood watching her, glad that he had found at least one friend here in Camelot. As she disappeared through the castle doors, another figure was also seen to be leaving. Walking quickly, and with a confidence that Merlin could only marvel at, Arthur crossed the courtyard to join his father on the far side.

Unaware that he had an audience; Arthur bent his head at the cold wind that seemed to be surrounding Camelot. He was anxious about the upcoming meeting. His conversations with his father always seemed to end in some sort of argument – especially the last one. Merlin's interruption at the court during the trouble with Valiant had lead to a massive row. Arthur wasn't quite sure why he was so quick to defend his servant, yet the fact that Merlin had been telling the truth all along made him feel strangely protective. There really was something about him that Arthur couldn't quite put his finger on.

Gathering his nerves, the young prince approached his father. He may be the best swordsman in all of Camelot and fearless in battle but somehow, in the presence of the king, Arthur just felt like a small child again.

Luckily for Arthur, the conversation went like clockwork. For example; who was going to be knighted confirmed and a time and date set. That was it, no heated discussions about why he re-hired Merlin, no arguments about lone trips into the forest. Relieved, Arthur set off to the training field, knowing that he was going to be early, naturally meaning that Merlin was going to be late. Arthur was fully aware that the mess he had created in his room was going slightly over the top and then adding sword training on top of it – he was lucky not to have Merlin quit on _him_this time. Yet he knew that he wouldn't be able to apologise to Merlin and within minutes he would find something else to have a go at him about.

Arthur reached his normal corner of the field and went to get comfortable, knowing that he was at least half an hour early and that Merlin was probably going to be half an hour late. To his utmost surprises, however, he found Merlin ready and waiting. Or at least as ready as Merlin could ever look with a sword in his hand…

"How…how are you here already? I thought I told you that I wanted my room cleaned _thoroughly_?" Arthur couldn't believe his eyes and refused to admit that this was Merlin standing in front of him.

"It's done." Merlin replied, inwardly grinning to himself when he saw the prince's obvious confusion. It was nice to know that he could still make Arthur feel uncomfortable; it meant that Arthur didn't hold all of the strings just yet.

Arthur _really_ didn't know what to say. He found it difficult to believe that Merlin had managed to get the whole room tidy already. But thought that he knew Merlin well enough to be sure that his servant wasn't lying to him.

Trying not to let Merlin see his confusion, Arthur simply shrugged and drew his sword from where it was hanging at his belt. Merlin's face fell when he saw the sword but he was wise enough not to say anything to the eager prince. It would only make matters worse.

Arthur beckoned him forward and the duelling began.

Then stopped.

With one movement, Arthur had disarmed Merlin and sent his rusty old sword flying halfway across the training ground. Merlin's face burned, as he fetched his sword but his bit his tongue, not wanting to provoke Arthur into teasing him.

The pair started up again and within minutes, had stopped. The pattern continued like this for almost half an hour, with the duel only lasting minutes at the most before Arthur spectacularly beat Merlin time after time, emerging victorious from all fights.

Getting frustrated by the fact that this wasn't helping him train at all, Arthur called the practice to a stop early, knowing that he was going to say something that he would regret. He went to turn away from Merlin when the sound of sarcastic clapping sounded. The noise came from directly behind Merlin and thinking that he was making fun, Arthur spun back angrily. His servant should have known not to push his luck that far.

Standing directly behind Merlin, Morgana had watched the whole practice, a mocking smile on her face.

"And so the greatest swordsman beats an inexperienced servant. Wow, how do you do it, Arthur?" Her sarcastic tone was too much for Arthur to take and he stalked away, allowing Merlin to remain behind for a few moments.

Merlin smiled shyly at the beautiful woman behind him, thankful that she had managed to send Arthur on his way (not to mention away from him.) Past experience had taught him that it was best to wait a couple of hours before returning to the prince, his temper was a challenge for even Merlin's best magic.

"Thank you." He said simply, not quite knowing how to address the fiery young woman. She was the one person in Camelot that he didn't know how to act around. With Arthur, it was defensive, Gaius, open, and with Gwen it was almost like being himself, just without the magic bits. But with the king's ward, it was a different matter entirely. She had always been kind to him but Merlin suspected that Gwen might be the reason behind that. And she was also brave enough to defy the King and annoy Arthur (oh, the joy of observing that). There was also something about her that made him feel like she would understand his secret. Yet that particular feeling wasn't strong enough for him to test it.

Morgana waved away his thanks, saying, "Arthur knew full well that he wouldn't get any proper practice. I don't know why he makes you go through it all the time."

Merlin wasn't quite sure whether he should feel pleased by this or not. Before he could think of an answer, however, a voice sounded from across the field.

"_Merlin_!" It said angrily, "Will you _please_ hurry up?"

Merlin couldn't believe his 'luck' – Arthur wanted him again. Smiling apologetically at Morgana, he hurried away, wondering how much worse this day could get.

Luckily, the rest of the day went remarkably uneventful considering the dreadful morning. By the time Merlin had helped Arthur dress for a feast and got all of his jobs done, it was time to return to Gaius.

Pushing the door open to the physician's chambers, Merlin could just make out Gaius standing on the uppermost shelf on his bookcase, wobbling precariously as he reached for a book that was just beyond his reach. His position bought a smile to Merlin's face; it was almost identical to their first meeting. In fact, it was almost too similar to be comfortable with and as Gaius wobbled worryingly whilst still stretching over, Merlin went into automatic sorcerer mode. Eyes flashing golden, he steadied Gaius, moved the ladder directly under him and made the book he had been stretching for soar into his hand, all within a matter of seconds.

"Wha-"Gaius couldn't believe that he was holding the book he had been desperately trying to reach all of a sudden. Then he heard the sound of Merlin chuckling at his confusion and knew exactly what the young sorcerer had done.

"Merlin!" he cried, "Are you always going to use your magic in broad daylight? You haven't even shut the door!"

Merlin gaped at Gaius like a stunned goldfish. It didn't matter that he had probably just saved his life. No, what mattered was the fact that he had used magic to do it!

Before he could say anything, Gaius had climbed down from the ladder, book in hand, and said, just loud enough for Merlin to hear that he spoke at all, "Thank you".

Smiling once again, Merlin closed the door behind him and headed up the stairs to his room. He only just had enough time to comprehend the state of it when Gaius walked in behind him and stopped in shock. Merlin had thought that Arthur was being his normal arrogant self by messing up his own room just for Merlin to tidy it, but seeing his own room, Merlin felt a sense of disbelief. He knew that his room had been messy but hadn't realised quite how much.

Gaius gazed around the room with unbelieving eyes, and then set his gaze upon the ashamed sorcerer. Raising his eyebrows at Merlin, he said, "I came to tell you that supper was ready. But it looks like you have things to do before that. Let me know when you're ready."

As Gaius left, Merlin realised that he had been telling him to tidy his room. For any normal person, this would have been annoying but Merlin was certainly no ordinary person. The fact that Gaius had been acting as a father figure gave Merlin a most satisfactory feeling of belonging. When he was with the ageing physician he didn't have to hide who, or what, he was – something he had wanted to do since before he could remember.

It was because he didn't have to hide who he was that meant that a few moments later, Merlin walked out of his amazingly tidy room and joined Gaius for supper. Gaius chose to ignore this use of magic for once, using his amazing ability of sensing the young warlock's mood and knowing that he had had a tough enough day. Merlin was still trying to adjust to the responsibility of being a servant to a prince, and an arrogant one at that. Watching Merlin eat, Gaius sighed; another day in Camelot gone.

**come on guys, review, please! pretty pretty please, just hit the little button. You know you want to really...**


	3. Chapter 2

**not as long as the previous chapter i'm afraid, but the story is starting to properly begin to unfold itself now.**

**Please review!!!!!!!!!!!!! **

The next few weeks passed fairly quietly, at least as quietly as they could, considering they were in Camelot. Merlin was only late for work five times, causing Arthur to start inventing new tasks to be done just to get back at him. Arthur reckoned that Merlin must either be incredibly stupid or incredibly naive not to notice how crazy the jobs were getting. Either way, Merlin kept his mouth shut, however much he grumbled to Gaius, Gwen or even himself when the prince was not around. Gwen sympathised, Gaius scoffed and, quite strangely, Merlin had very in depth conversations with himself about why Arthur was the way that he was. The best conclusion that he came up with was the combination of being a royal and a prat…

It was exactly three weeks since the awful day that Merlin had a day that was even worse, however impossible he thought this was. It didn't involve ridiculously messy rooms; it didn't even involve sword practice. But funnily enough, it did begin with Merlin being late for work.

Arthur was sitting in his chair, trying not to let his frustration with Merlin reach boiling point, and determined to think of some job that was unpleasant to do as revenge. Drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair, Arthur heard the door open slowly. Thinking it was Merlin trying to slip in without the prince noticing, Arthur opened his mouth.

"About time. You really have to stop this lateness, Merlin; I'm starting to get bored."

"So, he's late as well as inexperienced then." An unexpected voice responded, "He may have saved your life, but I'm beginning to feel like it was a mistake appointing that boy your manservant."

Arthur rose quickly and found himself face to face with the king. The last thing that Arthur had intended was to let the king know about the lack of punctuality that Merlin seemed to possess.

"He isn't. Late, that is, or inexperienced. I told him not to get here until he had mucked out my horses..." Arthur's voice trailed off as his father gave him a look of the utmost disbelief.

Arthur really didn't know what else to say to try and get Merlin off the hook. Feeling an amount of guilt that surprised even him about what he had just landed Merlin in, Arthur looked around his room (back to its normal state) for inspiration and a change of topic. What was the king doing in here anyway?

Opening his mouth once again, Arthur made to ask him but before he could, Merlin arrived. Bursting through the doors in such a typical Merlin way, he charged into the room, nearly crashed into the king and slipped over, all the while saying the words that just disproved everything Arthur had just told his father.

"I know, I know. I'm late again. This time it was Gaius's fault, he wanted to..." Merlin's voice trailed off in a similar way to Arthur's when he realised who was also in the room. Sitting at the king's feet, Merlin looked up apologetically and luckily had the sense to stay quiet.

"You were saying…?" Uther asked his son, who at least had the mind to look ashamed.

Arthur held his breath, really not knowing how Uther was going to react. Merlin's use of the word 'again' had made it quite clear that this was a recurring problem. And knowing his father the way that he did, he wasn't about to let an ineffective servant get away with being late for work. Especially not when his master was the prince of Camelot and heir to the throne. It was just a matter of how badly he reacted.

"Guards." The king called back through the open door.

Arthur shut his eyes to hide the dismay and guilt he was feeling. Merlin simply sat on the floor, frozen, looking horrified at the king's summoning.

The clanking of armour on the stone floor announced the arrival of two guards, who hurried into the room, looking about them anxiously. Frowns of confusion crossed both their faces simultaneously as they took in the scene before them. Their king was standing by the door, looking annoyed. Their prince was standing opposite him, looking ashamed and, if their eyes weren't playing tricks on them, guilty. Then there was the boy in the brown jacket that was always hanging around Arthur, sitting on the floor, looking worried. It was not a situation that they were used to being called too.

"This boy has an appointment with the stocks." Uther said, gesturing to Merlin as he did so.

Merlin's face fell even further, if that was at all possible, as the guards pulled him to his feet and marched him out of the room.

Arthur tried to catch Merlin's eye as he was dragged from the room, to say without words that he hadn't wanted this to happen. But Merlin had not once looked at Arthur, making him feel more wretched than before.

"Anyway, before incompetent servants got in the way, I came to tell you news of great importance." The king continued, drawing Arthur's attention away from the door and back to his father, "The sorcerer has returned to the outlying villages."

This news bought Arthur's mind back from his servant with an unpleasant thump. He didn't have to ask who this particular sorcerer was; there was only one that was bad enough to avoid being named, Claton. Camelot had suffered greatly at Claton's hand when he had last appeared, trying to take control of Camelot by killing anyone who slightly resembled a Pendragon. The knights had almost had him cornered when he had disappeared into thin air, literally. He had stayed quiet for some time now but that was obviously not a permanent thing.

"I will take the knights and ride out immediately." Arthur told his father, making for the door as he spoke, but was stopped in his tracks when Uther grasped his arm to prevent the fired-up prince from going anywhere.

"No," Uther responded, "we will wait for him to come here. Then we will have him executed under our terms and rules, not his."

"But if he's already in the outlying villages then who knows what damage and harm he could do before he even gets here. Not to mention the damage he could do in Camelot before we know he's in the city." Arthur couldn't see the logic in his father's plan at all. Surely the time to strike was when Claton was least expecting it.

"I said no, Arthur. And I forbid you to try and ride out, either on your own or with your knights. I expect you to be at the meeting later where the problem will be put forward to the council. And if you're not there, Arthur, then that unfortunate servant of yours will find himself taking the blame." Without another word, the king strode from his son's chambers, knowing that Arthur wouldn't risk Merlin in order to help the villages. The pair of them seemed to be the only two in Camelot who were unaware of how deep a bond that they were forming. Uther was aware of it, Gaius was more than aware of it, even Morgana could see it. Yet although the two of them would not admit it even to themselves, Uther knew that by using Merlin, Arthur would not dare go against his orders. So, maybe it was a little extreme but Uther would go to any lengths to protect his only son, especially against sorcerers.

Angrily, Arthur made to stride out of his room and go straight down to the stocks to apologise to Merlin, who was by now probably covered in vegetables, fruit and goodness knows what else. But once again he was stopped from leaving his chambers by an unexpected visitor. Morgana had seen the king leave Arthur's room, and knowing how rare it was for Uther to be in there, felt worried about what had happened.

"Is anything wrong?" She asked Arthur, who simply stared at her in disbelief. The anger clouding the prince's usually handsome face should have answered that question for her, yet Morgana still felt like she had to ask.

"Wrong?" Arthur responded, his voice dripping in sarcasm, "No, not at all. I only just got Merlin thrown in the stocks by accident, got blackmailed by my own father and had an evil sorcerer return to try and kill me. Nope, nothing is wrong!"

"I was only asking." Morgana responded, more heatedly than she intended. Taking a deep breath to calm her own nerves in order to not provoke the prince, Morgana realised exactly what Arthur had just said.

"Evil sorcerer? You can't mean Claton? I thought he had gone? How can he be back?" Morgana ran out of questions, making Arthur smile, despite himself. He should have known that the ever-inquisitive ward would have plenty to say on the matter. However, much as he would like to listen to her opinions just so that he could disagree with them, Arthur had more important issues to deal with – Merlin being one of them.

Once again, Arthur tried to leave, but, once again, was stopped by Morgana, "How exactly is Uther blackmailing you?" She asked softly.

"Merlin." He said shortly, "He seems to be under the impression that I would actually care if something happened to him. I can't help the villages where Claton is because otherwise Merlin will pay the price. I mean, as if that would stop me!"

"Then how come you're not already gone?" Morgana asked, her voice even softer than before. Arthur was such an idiot if he thought that he could hide the way that he felt about Merlin. The friendship between the two of them was undeniable.

Knowing that she had a point, Arthur simply glared and strode purposefully from the room. He wasn't stopped this time and quickly made his way down the stairs and out towards the market, heading for where he knew Merlin now was.


	4. Chapter 3

**here comes the next bit...**

**please keep reviewing guys! pretty pretty please!**

**thanks to all of you who have already, means a lot!**

Merlin couldn't believe Arthur. He knew that he had been late again but actually telling the King about it. That was low, even for Arthur. Bent at an angle that was killing his back, Merlin flinched as another festering cabbage came flying at him. The only good think about this was it was surprisingly fun to dodge rotting vegetables all day long. Merlin only hoped that it _was_ for a day. Saving Arthur's life seemed to be the only time that he hadn't been in trouble with the king.

"What did you do this time?" A familiar voice sounded from somewhere to his left. Merlin grinned as he recognized the voice. Twisting his head awkwardly to where it was coming from, Merlin could just about make out the physician standing to one side, avoiding the flying vegetables.

"I was late," Merlin stated, "and Arthur just had to go and tell Uther. So, here I am. Why does it always seem to be Arthur's fault that I end up in the stocks? Last time was definitely not my fault – he started the fight. Only he's the royal one, meaning I get the blame!"

Gaius smiled at the indignant sorcerer. He didn't have to say anything; Merlin knew full well that it was his own fault that he was late for work. Sometimes, it was best just to let him vent his feelings. With Merlin's extraordinary gift, Gaius was dreading the day when he really lost his temper. There was no knowing what a combination of magic and madness might do.

Before he had time to find anything to say to the sorcerer, however, a tomato came out of nowhere and smacked Merlin square in the face, splattering with an almost satisfied squelch. Ducking away quickly, Gaius rounded the corner so that Merlin couldn't see him laughing - he would never be able to live it down…

Merlin's face burned with humiliation, making it impossible to distinguish between his actual face and the tomato dripping down it. And to make matters worse, another voice suddenly sounded from nowhere, this one less welcome given the state of things.

"That look suits you. You should think about adapting it on a more permanent basis." Arthur couldn't help the sarcasm from coming; it was his way of trying to hide the extreme guilt that he was feeling. He had arrived at the worst moment, just in time to see a boy of about five hit Merlin full in the face with the fruit.

Merlin spat out tomato pips and tried his best to glare at Arthur but considering how he looked and the fact that he couldn't quite see where Arthur was standing, the look was so comical that Arthur did burst out laughing, despite his best efforts not too.

"Here to gloat?" Merlin asked sourly, "Or are you on your way to tell your father more of my mistakes?"

Arthur was taken aback by the bitterness in his servant's voice. He didn't realised that Merlin could sound _that_ vicious. It was only now that he realised the full extent of his mistake. Merlin truly believed that Arthur had told Uther about the lateness, meaning that he held Arthur fully responsible for the fact he was now covered in tomato.

"I came to tell you that I didn't tell him. And that I'm sorry…again. You know, that's the second time I've apologised to you. Don't get used to it; it's not something that I do often."

"I'm dreading the next time then." Merlin said, showing Arthur that he wasn't the only who knew how to be sarcastic, "First time I was sacked, second time I end up in the stocks. What happens next? Anyway, what do you mean you didn't tell him? He just happened to walk in, you thought it was me and told me off for being late, making him fully aware what was going on?"

Arthur stared at the boy in surprise, "How did you know?"

Merlin simply snorted in disbelief and shifted position, trying to get slightly more comfortable. Was there no end to Arthur's pranks? Narrowly dodging another tomato, Merlin looked around him as much as possible in order to see if the supply of vegetables was running thin yet. His distraction in attention gave Arthur the confidence he needed to confide in Merlin. He wanted to tell him about Claton, get his opinion about what he should do, but if he had his servant's full attention, the normally confident prince just didn't know where to start.

"Actually, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about." Arthur began, not sure whether Merlin was even listening, "If you found out that someone wanted to kill you and you had the chance to stop them but if through doing that, you were risking someone else, would you do it?"

Merlin stared at the prince in surprise. He certainly hadn't seen this change in conversation coming.

"Well," He started, trying to shift back towards Arthur to show that he was paying attention, but was stopped by a leek and a painful splinter from the wood around his neck, "that would depend on whether I cared for the other person or not. If so, then there really is no question about it. But if not..." Merlin felt his previous anger towards the prince die away. He couldn't quite believe that he was having this conversation, given where he was, yet it was moments like this that made Merlin realise that there was more to Arthur than the arrogant prat he appeared to be. At this moment, the prince was biting his lip in anxiety, staring at Merlin as if trying to reassure himself that he was really there.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable under the impenetrable gaze, Merlin glanced away, trying to work out what Arthur was thinking.

As soon as Merlin broke the eye contact, Arthur switched back into prince mode. He knew that his father would stay true to his word and take it out on Merlin if he didn't attend the council meeting, and so he decided to get there as soon as possible, meaning that there would be no reason to not let Merlin out of the stocks. Before Merlin had the chance to turn back, Arthur spun on his heel and strode from the market, leaving a tomato-covered servant behind, completely flummoxed.

Arthur was so intent on getting to the meeting that he crashed straight into a woman who was staring around anxiously. Coming back to reality for enough time to realise that she was looking completely lost, Arthur bent towards her, a frown on his handsome features.

"Can I help you?" He asked gallantly, whilst at the same time desperately hoping that she said 'no' in order to allow him to be on his way.

The woman looked at him in awe, obviously realising that he was someone of great importance, making Arthur feel rather smug, although he was adapt at hiding it by now.

"Well..." She stammered, "Sire, I...I, was looking for Gaius, the physician here. But I'm...well, I'm..."

Interrupting her, Arthur pointed her in the right direction and continued on his way, almost running as he realised that he was late for the meeting. He had been talking to Merlin for longer than he realised and now with this delay, time was short.

By the time that Arthur reached the hall, he could hear the meeting had already started. Taking a breath, the young prince straightened his shoulders, held his head high defiantly and motioned for the guards to open the doors, determined to make a dramatic entrance.

As he did just that, all the nobles sitting around the table turned to look at him, apart from his father who simply gave him a glance. The glance spoke volumes though, indicating that he was right not to risk Merlin and he would stay true to his word, as Arthur had predicated. Taking his seat, Arthur settled down comfortably, knowing from previous experience that they were going to be here for a while.

He was right. Hours passed with the nobles constantly bickering about the best way to stop Claton, whether to provoke him into showing himself or whether they should simply post more guards around Camelot. Arthur said nothing, his thoughts far away. He was worried, that was for sure. Worried about Claton, but more importantly, worried about Merlin. He knew that the stocks were a clear warning from Uther to the clumsy manservant, but Arthur was concerned that his father might go further than just the stocks. Besides, he had nothing to add to the conversation and no one asked, Uther was more than aware of his son's thoughts about the Claton problem.


	5. Chapter 4

Gaius hummed to himself as he pottered around his chambers. Thanks to Merlin's assistance lately, he was more than on top of his rounds. Having the extra pair of hands really helped him out in his old age, but the warlock was often hard to find, probably running errands for Arthur. Gaius was pleased that he had received his position so early after arriving in Camelot; it would have been extremely difficult for him to fit in otherwise. He knew that Merlin was finding the work hard, and remembering to get there on time even harder as he was such a free spirit, but having something to do and someone his own age to interact with worked miracles.

As he was flicking through a dusty old volume that he hadn't had time to look at for years, Gaius heard the door open cautiously and a woman poked her head around it. It had been years since he had last seen her, yet Gaius remembered her face as if it had only been yesterday. After all, he saw a reflection of her everyday in Merlin.

"Hunith!" He cried joyously, "What brings you to Camelot? You should have said that you were planning on visiting, I would have tidied the place up a bit for you."

Hunith smiled with relief at the welcome and moved further into the room. It had been a hard journey from Ealdor and she wasn't sure what welcome to expect. Ever since sending Merlin to Gaius, Hunith asked herself a hundred times a day whether it had been the right decision. She hadn't heard anything from her only son since he had arrived, but then again, it hadn't been that long. She didn't even know that he had arrived safely, but Gaius's reaction solved that.

"I'm sorry, Gaius," she said, her voice a lot stronger than when she had been addressing Arthur, "I needed to see Merlin. There is a matter of great importance that I must discuss with him as soon as possible. I didn't have time to write ahead, for which I apologise. I was wondering if I was able to stay with you for a while, things are a little difficult at home right now…"

"Of course, of course. You should know that you are always welcome here, Hunith. You say things are difficult, why is that? Everyone seems to be up in arms today."

Hunith paused, unwilling to go into a situation that she would have to repeat as soon as Merlin got back from wherever he was. And thinking of her boy, Hunith voiced aloud her thoughts.

"Where's Merlin?" She asked, "I assumed that he would be here."

Gaius smiled, and feeling incredibly proud of the young sorcerer, explained all about his job as the servant to the prince of Camelot thanks to his magical talents being put to good use to save Arthur's life. Knowing that Merlin would probably not thank him for this, he also went on to describe the relationship between the boys and how there was something there that they were refusing to admit.

Hunith smiled through his narration, absolutely thrilled that Merlin was fitting in. In fact, he was doing a lot better than she had dared to hope. However, something that she noticed throughout Gaius's tale is that he didn't actually answer her question of where Merlin was at this precise moment.

"Here," Gaius said suddenly, interrupting his own story, "Let me take your bags. You can have Merlin's room whilst your here, I'm sure that he won't mind. Follow me."

Taking her bags from her, Gaius led the way to the back room. Up the stairs they went, and Gaius pushed open the door to the warlock's room.

"I don't _believe_ it!" He exclaimed, "As magical as that boy may be, he certainly has an extraordinary talent for mess." For once again, Merlin's room was littered with clothes and books, despite him tidying it only recently.

Hunith followed him in and couldn't help but laugh. Merlin certainly hadn't changed in his time here in Camelot if that was what his room was like, not one bit.

It wasn't only wrecking a room that Merlin had an extraordinary talent for. Impeccable timing was another. Whilst Gaius and his mother were marvelling over the cluttered room, Merlin himself stomped into Gaius's chambers, covered with pieces of vegetables and rotting fruit.

"Apparently, Arthur didn't tell Uther." He announced, not stopping to take in the situation in front of him, "The prat seems to think that it was my timing that meant that Uther found out. Come on, what are the possibilities of that?"

Gaius raised his eyebrows at Hunith and smiled. Taking the lead back down the stairs, Gaius entered the main room and tried to cut in but Merlin was too far-gone in his rant to pay any attention at all to what the physician was attempting to say.

"...So then he goes on to say something really weird and deep about killing people and risking people, before walking off without another word and I don't hear anything all day apart from a message from the guard who let me out that he wants his armour polished by tomorrow!" Merlin had by this point reached the basin in the corner and was attempting to retrieve tomato pips from his hair, whilst continuing to speak.

"Merlin." Gaius tried to interrupt, but was stopped again.

"As if I don't have enough to do without having to polish his armour - he only wants to look good in tomorrow's parade. I swear that prince has more mood swings than a sorcerer..." He continued, still not noticing his mother standing at the top of the stairs.

"MERLIN!" Gaius thundered and finally managed to get his full attention.

His hair dripping, Merlin looked up at Gaius questioningly, not understanding what Gaius was yelling about. Tilting his head towards the stairs, Gaius's movements clearly indicated that he wanted Merlin to look that way, but the naivety of the warlock was amazing. Thinking that Gaius was mentioning the state of his room, Merlin switched from ranting to apologising.

"Don't blame me!" He said unconvincingly, "It's like magic how quickly it gets like that, honest. If I wasn't constantly cleaning Arthur's room, I might be able to keep my own tidy!" Merlin still hadn't looked towards the stairs once, a feat that no one else would have been able to manage so spectacularly as that. Considering the stairs were right in front of the door, it was incredible that Merlin still had not noticed his own mother. It was only the sound of Hunith laughing that made Merlin jump in surprise and finally turn towards that direction.

"Mother!" Merlin cried and ran towards the stairs. Hunith came down and embraced her son tightly, unwilling to let go. As they stood there with Gaius watching on, a knock sounded unwelcomingly on the door, followed by a voice that Hunith had heard once before, Gaius was not expecting and Merlin had had enough of for one day.

"Merlin!" Arthur called, "You may have just gotten out of the stocks but I was still expecting you back to dress me for the feast!"

Merlin scrunched his eyes shut and groaned as Gaius crossed over to the door to let the prince in. Merlin really couldn't believe his luck, could Arthur plan his timing any better?

"Idiot." Arthur continued, striding into the room, "Will you ever learn?" He stopped dead at the sight in front of him, confusion crossing his face quicker than he could hide it.

"Err..." Merlin began, "Arthur, I would like you to meet my mother."

Arthur stood there in complete surprise. Merlin thought it was the only time that he had seen the prince speechless. It was Hunith who broke the silence.

"We've already met." She said, smiling. Everything Gaius had told her about the prince made her feel the deepest gratitude towards him but she would have never guessed that it was the man who had pointed her in the right direction. The description and the real thing seemed to be completely different.

"You have?" Merlin said in astonishment.

Arthur nodded in acknowledgement and said, "I'm glad you found your way." Almost as respectfully as the last time he spoke to her. Turning to Merlin, the prince act slipped and he reformed back into the annoying prat that Merlin knew so well.

"Don't tell me you forgot! I mean, with constantly being late and being the worst servant ever, please say that you didn't forget half your jobs,_again_!" He could see Merlin flinching as he spoke, and the whole time he kept one eye on Hunith. He knew that it was harsh, but he could barely resist the temptation to humiliate Merlin in front of Gaius at the best of times and with his mother there as well, the temptation was simply too great. Merlin's face was almost blushing as deeply as when he had been hit with the tomato, but Hunith just stood there smiling, knowing that there was no depth to the prince's words and that he was just jesting. However, as Arthur spoke, it wasn't just embarrassment that crossed Merlin's features. His eyes gained a far away look and a look of shock spread across his face, before he was able to conceal it. It had all happened so quickly that no one, not even Arthur had noticed that it was ever there. Once Arthur had finished his miniature tirade, Merlin answered him back; his tone completely different to the light hearted one of before.

"Of course, _Sire_. I'll come and help you dress as it seems to be too difficult for you to manage by yourself!"

Gaius frowned at Merlin's manner, knowing that it was not like him to be this disrespectful. Arthur's face had already started to cloud over, and Merlin was glaring back, blue eyes into blue as if a battle was taking place under the surface. It was Merlin who broke the contact first, glancing down shamefully as if he regretted his choice of words and the way that he had delivered them. He seemed to realise himself that he had gone too far and shaking his head as if to rid himself of a troublesome noise, he walked across the room and out into the corridor, heading off in the direction on Arthur's chambers. Arthur looked at Gaius in surprise; this was not the Merlin that he knew – cheeky, yes, but not plain rude.

He left the room himself and set off after his manservant, determined to retrieve an explanation.

After the boys had left, Gaius shut the door softly behind them and faced Hunith with an apologetic look on his face. She was frowning at the door, as if trying to stare after her son and Gaius was worried that she would think that Merlin was always this way.

"I don't know what's got into him. He has never been like this before. I know that he was annoyed at Arthur because he ended up in the stocks but that tone was certainly a side to Merlin I had never seen before. It was as if something was deeply troubling him, but he was fine this morning, even earlier this afternoon when he was in the stocks." Gaius too turned to frown at the door, as if magically they would be able to see through the wood and into the obviously troubled warlock.


	6. Chapter 5

**Ohh much longer chapter this time, folks!**

**something i should have said at the beginning and completely forgot is that this is supposed to be set between eps 2 & 3 and so is the very beginning of Arthur's and Merlin's friendship. Just in case anyone was wondering...**

Arthur strode purposely down the corridor, the frown still upsetting his usually handsome face. He was in shock about how Merlin had behaved, even when they were fighting about Valiant, he hadn't spoken to him like that.

Pushing his door open slightly more forcefully than necessary, causing it to bang into the wall behind, Arthur entered his room and looked around for his troubled manservant. It took him a moment to locate the boy, for Merlin was sitting cross-legged in the corner of the room, continuously shaking Arthur's jacket out. It was obvious that he was not going to stop any time soon, but it was also obvious that his mind was far away, something was deeply concerning him. Arthur's frown deepened as he saw how upset Merlin was and he crossed the room to crouch next to him.

Merlin didn't even look up when the prince sat down beside him. In fact, he only moved at all when Arthur took his jacket out of his hands to stop him shaking it.

"Merlin," He said softly. He'd been angry when he had left the physician's chambers but seeing the state that Merlin was in, felt his anger ebb away despite himself, "What's wrong? Is this about you ending up in the stocks? I told you that I hadn't intended for that to happen."

"I know." Merlin replied quietly, staring at the floor, "No, it's not that at all. In fact, it's nothing. I'm fine. Here, you should get changed, you don't want to be late for the banquet, your father wouldn't forgive either of us."

Arthur felt his frown returning when he realised that Merlin was avoiding the question and that he would be able to get no more out of the boy tonight.

"Go home, Merlin" He told him, "I can manage for tonight, you've had a hard day. Go back to Gaius and get some sleep and I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Merlin, if he had been in his ordinary mood, would have thought that there was something wrong with Arthur with allowing him to have the night off, but Merlin was far from his ordinary mood. He simply stood up and walked over to the door, saying not a word to the concerned prince. Just before he could exit, Arthur spoke again.

"Merlin," He called, causing Merlin to turn back from the door. A small smile played teasingly across his lips, determined to make the other boy smile, "Don't be late."

A shadow of his normal smile made it onto Merlin's features before disappearing as fast as it came. He walked out, leaving Arthur struggling into his jacket and trying to fasten his cloak on his own, and set off back down the familiar path towards Gaius chambers.

He had been gone for such a short amount of time that Gaius and Hunith had barely moved since he had gone. Hunith had crossed the room and was perched on Gaius's workbench, but the physician had not moved. They were deep in conversation when Merlin arrived but as soon as they heard the door begin to creak open, fell silent. They both looked up in surprise as Merlin walked in, not having expected him back quite so soon.

Still not saying anything, Merlin shut the door behind him, his eyes downcast, and headed towards the stairs. Rather than climbing them to his room, Merlin instead turned and sat down and then, eventually spoke.

"He's back, isn't he?" He was addressing Hunith, but could not miss the looks of confusion that Gaius was shooting them both, "Claton. He's returned to the village, hasn't he?"

Hunith nodded slowly, not surprised that Merlin knew, "He has already asked questions about where you are. He spoke to Will first, but Will warned me to get away from Ealdor and find you, to warn you, before he had the chance to speak to me. How did you find out?"

Merlin sighed, "He spoke to me." He stated. This drew looks of amazement from both his mother and a perplexed Gaius, "It was just after Arthur arrived. I heard his voice in my head, telling me that he was coming for me and that I wouldn't be able to stop him this time."

Before Hunith could respond Gaius cut in, determined to find out what mother and son were talking about.

"You said Claton – the same Claton that tried to kill Arthur and Uther a few years ago? I thought that he'd disappeared…"

"He had." Hunith responded, knowing how reluctant Merlin was to talk about that time. It had been extremely tough on him and had nearly lost him a dear friend. It was because of Claton that Will found out about Merlin's magic, "After he fled from Camelot, Claton arrived in Ealdor, absolutely furious that he had been outwitted by a mere prince, Arthur, as it transpires. He tried to cause terror for the village but Merlin fought him off. His magic was just starting to get strong then and he was able to force Claton to leave, but not before he had sworn to get revenge on Merlin for conquering him."

Merlin interrupted at this point, anxious to not be portrayed as some sort of hero that his mother was making him out to be, "It was more luck than anything else that got rid off him."

Gaius shot him a look that made him feel like that the physician knew that he was being modest but Merlin was too depressed to care. Claton had terrified him and the thought of him returning and coming to find him filled him with dread. It wasn't just himself he was worried about, however. Although he had sworn revenge it was clear that Claton would be coming to do what he'd failed to do before – kill Arthur. And yet, as bad as that was, Merlin also had another fear. If Claton was coming here to kill Arthur and get revenge on Merlin, what if he revealed his secret to the prince? What if he told him everything? That thought alone was enough to make Merlin shiver with horror. Arthur, being Uther's son, Merlin could only imagine how he would react to finding out that his servant was a warlock, let alone one powerful enough to take on one of his enemies.

Merlin was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice Hunith and Gaius watching him closely. Hunith especially was deeply concerned for Merlin – the way he had acted earlier showed how much Claton already had a hold over his mind.

"Go to bed, Merlin." Gaius said gently, "Things won't look as bad in the morning. We'll figure something out. I believe Uther is already aware that Claton has returned, you have nothing to fear. He would never get into Camelot alive."

"Does that mean Arthur already knows?"

Gaius nodded and Merlin wasn't sure if he should be grateful or not. If Arthur knew, maybe he could bring up the subject somehow about also knowing, just without the mention of magic, of course. Arthur would have been aware that Claton had stayed in one of the outlying villages, perhaps it was just possible to confess his fears, without the prince knowing the full story about why Claton would be after Merlin personally.

As thoughts whirled around his head at an alarming rate, Merlin climbed the stairs to his room and settled into the makeshift bed in the corner of the room. The pile of blankets waiting for him clearly indicated that Hunith was having his bed but Merlin didn't mind – he was used to the floor.

By the time Hunith pushed the door open; her son was fast asleep. Arthur was right, it had been a hard day for him and after snuggling into the blankets, Merlin realised just how tired he had been. Hunith felt motherly tears sting her eyes as she gazed upon him, a frown crossing her son's sleeping face as he stirred in dreams. She climbed into the bed and blew out the candle, at the same time that Gaius snuffed his out down the stairs.

Gaius wasn't sure whether he had actually gone to sleep or not, but was startled when he heard a very soft knock at the door. It showed how much his nerves were on edge as he sprung out of bed the same way that he could have done _thirty years_ ago. Crossing over to the door, Gaius opened it just so he could peer out to see who would be knocking at this time of night. The crack in the opening revealed Arthur, obviously on his way back from the feast. It was clear that he had tried to get himself ready; the angle that his cloak was fastened at was definitely something special.

Keeping his voice low, Arthur entered, whilst asking how Merlin was. Gaius sighed, not sure what to tell the prince.

"I'm afraid his mother brought some bad news, Sire. Merlin's had a nasty shock; it may take him a while to get over it. Please, forgive his earlier behaviour, he was not himself."

"I don't care about how he behaves. Let's face it; Merlin doesn't exactly stick by all the normal servant behaviour rules. It was clear that something was troubling him; I just wanted to know how he was…" Arthur said, trying and failing to keep the concern out of his voice.

Gaius smiled fondly at the prince, glad that he was not always the prat Merlin often made him out to be. However, before he had the chance to respond to Arthur's kindness, a yell sounded from down the stairs at the back of the room. Arthur and Gaius looked at each other, before sprinting across the chambers.

"_NO_!" The yell continued as they raced up the stairs, Arthur in the lead, taking the steps two at a time. The sight that greeted them when they pushed open the door was not one that left Arthur's mind any time soon.

Hunith was crouched on the floor next to Merlin, desperately trying to wake him as her son thrashed in his sleep. Sweat covered his brow and he was twisted in his blankets in such a way that Gaius was worried that it might suffocate him. He continued to yell as his mother frantically called his name and seemed to be trying to get away from something. Hunith looked pleadingly at Gaius when she heard the door open.

"Do something! There must be something you can do to wake him, please, Gaius!"

Gaius dropped to his knees as quickly as his aching joints would let him and joined Hunith in the attempts to wake Merlin.

It didn't matter what they tried, nothing seemed to be able to stir the sleeping boy from his nightmare. Arthur could only watch helplessly as Merlin's tossing became more and more frantic and Gaius's face became more and more concerned. Thinking of nothing better, he ran down the stairs and grabbed the very same basin that Merlin had earlier used to wash tomato pips out of his hair. Snatching it up, he hurried back, spilling the water everywhere in his haste. Merlin was yelling louder and louder by the time he got there and it wrenched Arthur's heart to hear the terror in his voice.

Without hesitating, the prince threw the icy cold water over them, wetting all three. Luckily, all the years of training meant that his aim was true and the majority of the water hit Merlin straight in the face.

Sitting bolt up right with a gasp, Merlin finally awoke. His eyes were wide with terror as he stared around unseeing, his breath coming in short and frantic gasps. Eventually, his breathing steadied as Hunith tenderly wiped his forehead and Gaius handed him a goblet of something. By the calming effect that it had on Merlin, Arthur could only assume that it was one of Gaius's many wonderful potions - vile to taste but amazing in effect.

After only a few moments, Merlin was practically back to himself, apart from his even paler complexion and the look in his eyes. At that precise moment, Arthur didn't think that he would ever forget that look. There was a fear in them that he had never seen before, not even in his knights before a battle. But there was also something else. As Arthur looked, they seemed to darken. It was as if, when Merlin had awoken, they had been more golden than blue, but were now returning to their original colour. Arthur simply assumed that his own eyes were playing tricks, after all, the room was badly lit and he was more shaken by the experience than he would care to admit. Again, even with Valiant, Merlin had seemed to possess a self-confidence that was rare, especially in a servant; he knew that he had been right and would have done anything to prove it. But yet now, the boy before him was just that, a boy.

Arthur suddenly felt a strange tingle inside of him to go and hug the terror-stricken boy, to comfort him and let him know somebody was there for him, but he shook it away – that was just a stupid, whimsical idea…

Once Merlin had calmed a little, Gaius made his way back down to the stairs to retrieve one of his many sleeping draughts. His constant practice on Morgana meant that he knew exactly which one Merlin would need to be able to sleep the rest of the night out. He was aware that the best remedy for nightmares was to have someone to talk about them with but until Arthur left, he didn't dare ask. He could guess only too well what had haunted the young warlock.

Merlin shakily sat against the wall of his room and let his mother tuck the blanket around his legs. It had surprise him to see Arthur there but what surprised him further was that the prince was making no attempt to leave. It had to be the middle of the night at least and yet he had decided to stay. He sat by the wall next to Merlin, and, unfastening his wonky cloak, spread it across himself. Merlin may have been tired, but he didn't miss the looks that the prince was shooting him. They were full of questions that were longing to be asked and were yet prevented from doing so. The three of them sat in silence, no one wanting to be the first to break the tension.

Like Gaius, Hunith was desperate to ask what the nightmare had been about but, like Gaius, knew that it was something that could not be discussed in front of Arthur. Instead, she could only watch her son closely, ready to act if he showed any signs of drifting back off to sleep before Gaius got back.

It didn't take Gaius more than a few moments to retrieve the small bottle from the shelf and make his way back upstairs. It just proved how worried he had been when he'd heard the yell by how fast he moved. Now the panic had left him and he could only walk at his normal pace up the stairs, acutely aware of how steep they really were. As he entered the room, he could not stop the smile spreading across his face as he saw the boys sitting next to each other under the prince's red cloak. They may constantly fight but there was no way that Arthur and Merlin were simply master and manservant. They were friends, no argument or debate to be had.

Handing Merlin the phial, Gaius told him to drink the entire thing. Merlin unhooked one of his hands from under the blanket and downed the potion inside. It took all of his might not to gag afterwards – it was disgusting. But yet, before he could do so, an amazing sensation spread throughout his body. It was a warm and sleepy feeling, incredibly comforting and without even having time to comprehend what was happening, he fell fast asleep, his head landing on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur glanced at the sleeping head worriedly. Did this mean that he was going to have to sit here for the rest of the night? He caught Gaius's eye and the physician smiled apologetically before disappearing back down the stairs. He returned within moments, carrying another blanket, a large one this time. He draped it over both boys, making sure that Merlin was completely covered.

When he realised that neither Gaius nor Hunith would want him to move in case it disturbed the still pale Merlin, Arthur was prepared to prevent the groan that he was certain was about to come but found that he did not have to worry. As Arthur watched Merlin, he realised that he didn't actually mind having to sit here all night if it meant that his friend was able to get some sleep.

"You should take my bed." Gaius said quietly to Hunith, "I'll stay in here and make sure he's alright."

Hunith nodded and made her way out of the room, her eyes never leaving Merlin. Gaius pulled out a chair and sat, positioning himself so that he could see the boys at all times.

"Will he be alright?" Arthur asked, his voice low and radiating with concern. Gaius studied the sleeping face for a few moments before nodding.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. If he can sleep the rest of the night out, then there is no reason at all why he shouldn't be. Like I said earlier, he had an awful shock when his mother delivered him the news."

Arthur nodded, whilst stealing another glance at Merlin. He had never seen the boy sleep before. Half asleep, many times – it was the almost constant state that Merlin was in when he was late for work, but never actually sleeping. He looked so different, so peaceful and at ease. It brought an involuntarily smile onto his face, something that he struggled to hide before Gaius saw. Although he respectfully pretended he had seen nothing, Gaius had indeed seen and an all-knowing sparkle glinted in his eyes.

With a friend at his side and Gaius watching over them, Arthur felt safe. Far safer than he had done in a long time, his room was so big that it wasn't exactly the most homely of places, even when he messed it up to make it feel more so. It wasn't long before he too found himself drifting off, and to Gaius's absolute delight, rested his head on top of Merlin's and shut his eyes. As horrible as the night may have been, Gaius hoped that it would make the boys realise that they were friends and stop trying to deny it by hiding in their master/servant roles.


	7. Chapter 6

It was difficult to say who slept better out of Arthur and Merlin. Arthur, with his amazing sense of safety, or Merlin, with the amazing influence of Gaius's sleeping draught. Either way, it was only when the sun streamed through the window, landing on their faces and causing them to wince in the light that either of them stirred. Arthur first, his eyes screwed up against the intensity of the light, yawned and stretched the crick in his neck, his movements waking Merlin. The young warlock sleepily opened his eyes and then also immediately winced as his neck strongly protested having spent a night on Arthur's shoulder.

As soon as Arthur felt Merlin stir, he clambered to his feet; anxious to regain at least some of his princely dignity before the warlock fully awoke. His movements caused the sleeping Gaius to also awaken and on beholding that both boys were up, climbed awkwardly out of his chair.

"I'll get some breakfast." He told them, then realised exactly who one of them was, "Unless of course, you would rather return to your own chambers, Sire." He added quickly.

"No." Arthur responded, his voice light and teasing, "A certain servant hasn't been in to fix my breakfast yet. At least if I stay here, I will get something." Arthur's casual tone made Merlin relax. He hadn't realise that he had been tense, but the fact that Arthur hadn't said anything about last night or the way he had behaved before made him feel slightly safer. The dream was still heavy on his mind but thanks to Gaius, he had slept through the night peacefully and was anxious not to give Arthur any more reason to become suspicious.

Merlin followed Gaius down the stairs, Arthur directly behind him. Hunith was already up and had begun to brew them all some porridge. Seeing her bustle around busily, Merlin smiled, realising just how happy he was to see her. Unbeknownst to him, both Gaius and Arthur were watching him, and at the genuine smile, also both found themselves relaxing.

The night before may have been one of the hardest nights that any of them had to go through for a long time but the morning was one of the most peaceful. Hunith chattered happily about Ealdor, filling the prince in on every embarrassing childhood memory she had of Merlin, much to her son's humiliation. Merlin tried to defend himself against some of the more embarrassing ones but Hunith had such a way of telling a story that she soon had Arthur laughing. It didn't take long for Merlin to start laughing as well, as he saw the amused expressions crossing Arthur's face as he ate.

The happy atmosphere wasn't wasted on Gaius either, but the physician had other things on his mind to join in the casual chatter. There were rounds to be made, herbs to be collected and a certain boy in his care to sort out. He was just trying to work out which one should take first priority.

The group were about halfway through their breakfast when there was a knock Gwen poked her head around the door.

"Gaius," She called, and then stopped short when she saw the scene in front of her. Gaius was the only one that she expected to find the way he was. She hadn't expected Merlin to still be here, let alone not dressed properly, not to mention Arthur sitting across the table from him, definitely in the same clothes that she had saw him in at the feast, even if they were a little crumpled. Then there was the woman sitting at the edge of the table (who had both the boys in stitches) that she didn't know but on a second glance thought she could see some resemblance to Merlin. The oddness of it all rendered Gwen speechless, not something easily done.

"Ah, Gwen," Gaius stood up and fetched a small phial from his shelf, "I take it Morgana asked for another sleeping draught. I'm afraid that this is a slightly different one – the last of the previous batch has been used." Gaius's tone may have been light and friendly but Gwen didn't miss the looks that went shooting round as he spoke. Both Arthur and the mysterious woman looked immediately concerned as they looked at Merlin, who dropped his eyes to the table. Frowning slightly, Gwen collected the bottle from Gaius and hastily left the room, anxious to get back to Morgana. It wasn't just Merlin who had experienced a bad dream last night.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable at being found in Gaius's chambers so early in the morning, Arthur also decided it was time to make a retreat, before any more unexpected guests showed up. Besides, he had matters of importance that he wanted to talk to his father about, regarding a certain sorcerer.

"Get dressed, Merlin." He said, addressing his servant, "Meet me in my chambers in one hour, my armour needs refitting." As he stood, he tried, unsuccessfully, to straighten his crumpled clothes, determined not to give any one a reason to talk.

Merlin nodded, accepting Arthur's return to formality. He knew that the informal mood wouldn't last long, especially not after an interruption. He was too grateful to Arthur to bother making an issue out of something that he knew was inevitable. The fact that Arthur had sacrificed a night in his comfy bed to stay by Merlin's side deeply touched the warlock and he was anxious not to let his mood from yesterday return.

As Arthur left, Merlin stood – about to return to his room to change out of his old shirt and into his normal blue one. Before he could take more than a few steps, he was prevented from going anywhere by Gaius. What neither of them knew was that the way that Gaius restrained Merlin was identical to the way that Uther had stopped his son from leaving the day before. If they had realised, both would have said it was because of the relationship between them was that of father and son, even if not through blood.

"Sit down, Merlin. We need to talk about last night, even if you don't want to. We need to know what you saw."

Merlin shut his eyes in dismay; this was the last thing that he wanted right now when he was trying his hardest to forget. Funnily enough, he found that the easiest way to not think about the dream was to think about Arthur and just how much of an annoying prat the prince could be. He sat back down on the bench heavily and gazed up at Gaius. Hunith couldn't believe the bond between the two of them. It was _so_ strong. It was obvious that her son trusted the physician with more than just his life.

"Claton." Merlin said bluntly, "I saw Claton. It seemed more than a dream; it was as if he was making me see it, just like he made me hear him earlier. I saw Arthur, lying in a cave, in a pool of blood and Claton standing over him mockingly, as if daring me to rescue him." Merlin's voice trailed off; unable to continue as the images of Arthur lying dead flickered through his mind. He may have told the Dragon that he wanted nothing to do with saving the arrogant prince but the young warlock knew in his heart that this was not true. He would do anything to save him.

"It was just a dream." Gaius said, "He knows your deepest fear and is making it seem like reality. Don't worry; we wont let him over take you. The sleeping potions should be enough to prevent him from entering your mind. What will you tell Arthur?" He added.

Merlin shook his head, a clear indicator that he had no idea. He rose once again and, when he was not stopped, proceeded to get dressed and head down to Arthur's chambers early, hoping to get something achieved with the stubborn armour before the equally stubborn prince got back from where ever he was.

*

Unfortunately, the stubborn armour proved to be even more cantankerous than Merlin remembered it to be, and he was still trying to get a dent out of the shield, whilst strongly resisting the urge to use magic to do it, when Arthur returned. The young prince was in a foul mood – his meeting with Uther had not gone well. He had only tried to hint that they should send riders out to meet Claton to stop him doing any harm but Uther had taken it the wrong way and thought that his son was trying to disobey him and had even threatened locking him up to prevent him from doing so. Arthur burst into his chambers and then, realising that Merlin was there, tried to appear cheerful by forcing on a false smile.

When Merlin looked up from the shield, he immediately became anxious for his master for the most peculiar expression was on his face that made him look like he was in pain.

"Is something wrong?" He asked quickly, growing concerned as the strange grimace widened and twisted oddly, "Can I get you something? A drink perhaps?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Arthur responded, the 'smile' leaving his face. He could see in Merlin's expression that both of them were thinking about the previous night. Merlin shifted uncomfortably under Arthur's impenetrable gaze and said nothing, "Well?" Arthur waited for a response to his question, but was uncertain whether or not he should be pushing the subject. Merlin thought for a moment, and then decided that if Claton was coming for both of them, then Arthur would find out soon enough. It was just how to get around the magic portions...

"It's a long story." Merlin began hesitantly. When Arthur didn't say anything he found that he was encouraged and shifted to a more comfortable position on the floor. As Arthur sat in his chair across from Merlin, he continued, "To start with, its the reason that my mother is here in Camelot rather than Ealdor. She need- wanted to get away from the village for the time being as something has happened." Merlin was speaking faster now, with more confidence in his voice, although Arthur could tell that he was being extremely careful about what he was saying, as if unsure of how the prince would react, "Someone has returned, someone that made everyone's lives hell the last time he turned up. Someone who, well, kind of holds me responsible for driving him away." Merlin blathered the last bit very quickly indeed, as if trying to get it over and done with. He stole a glance at the prince's face and could see Arthur putting two and two together and coming up with Claton.

"Hang on," Arthur said, sitting up a little straighter, "you mean to say that this someone who has returned is in fact a deadly sorcerer and is planning on making a comeback to Camelot to overthrow the kingdom. That this someone is Claton?"

Merlin nodded his agreement and was once again witness to a dumbfounded prince. Arthur simply didn't know what to say. How was it possible that Merlin, the idiot who couldn't turn up on time, knew Claton? As he was mulling that over, the last part of what Merlin had said dawned on him – something that didn't seem to make any sense at all.

"What do you mean, he holds you responsible for driving him away? Come on, anyone who has seen you with a sword knows that there is no chance you could go against him. Even Morgana could defeat you in combat!"

"From what I've heard, she can defeat you as well!" Merlin retorted, back to his usual self enough to not let an insult go unchallenged.

"She can_not_! She only likes to think so. I always went easy on her…" Arthur was pleased that the Merlin he knew (and if he dared admit it, liked) was back, but he still couldn't work out how this same Merlin could have defeated Claton, "You didn't answer the question." He said rather pointedly, and Merlin sighed, realising that there would be no way around it. It was just a matter of not letting the wrong things slip.

"It wasn't really much to do with me, at all. My friend is good with a sword; I was just on the sidelines. But it was me he saw first, meaning that he holds me responsible"

Thankfully, Arthur seemed to accept the idea of Merlin just standing, watching on the sidelines. Whilst feeling rather hurt, Merlin was at the same time relieved. Hopefully it would mean that he wouldn't ask any more sensitive questions; it was beginning to get awkward.

"So, that was what the dream was about?" Arthur asked after a while, still puzzling over the coincidences of having his servant knowing his enemy before he'd even met the prince. It was too early in the day for this.

However, as slow as Arthur was being (for him), he didn't miss the colour spreading across Merlin's face. Merlin really didn't know how to say that the dream had in fact been about losing Arthur and, according to Gaius, that was his worst fear.

Before he could think of an answer that wouldn't give Arthur a lifetime's permission to tease him, there came a knock at the door, followed by the voice of one of the guards who had taken Merlin to the stocks.

"Prince Arthur, your father wishes to see you. He says it is a matter of great importance, Sire."

Arthur rolled his eyes, not believing his father. It had only been ten minutes ago that he had been threatening to throw him in jail for disobeying him, yet now he wanted to talk again!

"Get the armour finished, Merlin," He said, as he rose, "Then I need my bed changing, clothes from last night washing _and_ my stables need mucking out." Arthur was out of the door before Merlin could respond, wondering if the day could be any weirder.

However strange the day was being for Arthur, Merlin found that it seemed to be pretty ordinary for him. The armour took the rest of the morning and by the time he had finished in the stables, he was positive that Arthur kept getting more horses each time. Covered in filth, he set off back home, partly anxious about the fast approaching night; partly feeling like everything was back in its proper place.


	8. Chapter 7

Just as Merlin was snuggling into his blankets, feeling absolutely exhausted after the broken night before and the extremely busy day, Gaius entered. He handed Merlin a small bottle, similar to the one the night before and watched whilst the warlock drunk it.

It took less than a moment for it to take effect and for Merlin to fall asleep, allowing a sigh of relief from Gaius. Little did Merlin know that so many of the stables needed cleaning out because of Gaius. Worried about what would happen if left unoccupied, Gaius had caught up with Arthur before his meeting with Uther and asked him to make sure that his servant was busy for the whole day. Seeing the muck that Merlin was covered in when he got back, Gaius knew that Arthur had been true to his word. With Hunith taking Gaius's bed again, the physician had opted to spend the night watching over the troubled boy. He himself had experienced a very brief encounter with Claton and felt that that had scarred him for life, never mind what it would have done to Merlin, who would have been quite young at the time. Hunith had filled him in on the details whilst Merlin had been at work, and Gaius had only found that his pride had grown and grown for the boy as he was told about his bravery and willingness to sacrifice everything to help the ones he cared about. What worried Gaius was that kind of attitude would get him executed here in Camelot. Uther must not find out about Merlin's gifts, no matter what.

Gaius was sure that he had at least gone to sleep this time, when a small whimper made him jerk awake again. He sat up, frowning in confusion as he heard the cry again, then realised with a start that it was coming from Merlin. He hastily lit the candle next to the bed and took a good look at him. Whilst he may not have been yelling, it was certain that the potion hadn't been strong enough to keep Claton out of his mind completely. A deep frown dominated his face as he twitched in fear, trapped in his nightmare and occasionally calling out. As Gaius crouched beside him and tried to waken the boy, he could have sworn that Merlin kept saying Arthur's name. As Merlin's voice became more frantic and fearful, Gaius remembered Arthur's trick with the water. There had been a pitcher of water on the bedside table, and snatching it up, Gaius poured it over Merlin. Once again, it did as desired and Merlin awoke, but to Gaius's horror, had tears streaming down his face and his eyes a deep golden. As Merlin struggled to gain control of himself, objects began whizzing around the room as the powerful magic within him was given a free reign. Ducking as the bed flipped across the room, Gaius scrambled for the stairs, shutting the door behind him. As much as he didn't want to leave Merlin, the warlock was a danger to anyone and everyone whilst he was this out of control. It was the type of magic that Gaius had been afraid of being let lose…

After a few moments, the thuds from inside the room stopped and everything grew quiet. Gaius carefully opened the door and peered in, to find the room in a state. Not one object had remained untouched and as Gaius entered, Merlin was hurriedly pouring the rest of the water over the candle, which had toppled over and was in the process of setting the floor on fire.

"Good job that didn't happen last night when Arthur was here!" He said, laughing nervously to hide the worry that was building up within him.

Merlin simply looked at the physician, his face mirroring what Gaius was thinking. Neither of them had seen magic _this_ out of control before and Merlin was disturbed by how powerful he really seemed to be.

Too frightened of what he might do if he went back to sleep, Merlin spent the rest of the night flicking through his magic book, trying out any spell that he took a liking to whilst Gaius rested. He found that when he was studying magic, time went quickly and it seemed to be no time at all until the very first rays of sunlight began to peak over the horizon and through the window. Climbing up to the window, Merlin watched the sun rise, glad to greet the new day. He decided to impress Arthur and get to work early and so set off, leaving Gaius and his mother peacefully lost in dreams, ones not full of evil and death.

The minute later when Merlin pushed the wooden door open quietly, so as not to disturb the prince, he knew that something was wrong. Even from the other side of the room, he could hear Arthur's laboured breathing and him talking in his sleep. Merlin knew that Arthur never spoke in his sleep and he hurried over to the bed, expecting the worst. He was right.

Arthur was tossing and turning frantically, words of fright slipping through. His brow was furrowed and the blankets were almost on the floor, showing that he had obviously been dreaming for a while. As Merlin shook him by the shoulders to try and wake him, he was shocked to hear his own name being spoken. In fact, it surprised him so much that he stopped shaking the prince and simply stared. When he heard it again, and then for a third time, he knew that he wasn't just hearing things. Anxious to wake his friend, Merlin shook him more vigorously, but then remembered what Gaius had said about them trying to wake him. It had been impossible, save for one thing. If Merlin was right, and it was because of Claton that Arthur was now trapped in a nightmare, Merlin was sure that he would forgive him for this.

Glancing around the room, he saw a goblet standing on the table, half full. Merlin dashed across the room, snatched it up and threw the contents at Arthur. Unfortunately, it wasn't water in the goblet, but red wine, and as Merlin's aim was no where near as good as Arthur's, only a small amount hit the prince, the rest staining the bedclothes. Merlin couldn't stop the groan escaping, for he was fully aware of who had the joyous responsibility of getting it out again.

However, that was a matter for later, as the trick seemed to have worked. Merlin reached the bed just in time as Arthur sat up very suddenly. He was shocked by the fear in Arthur's eyes; he had never seen the confident prince frightened before. At least, never seen him show it.

Not properly awake, Arthur grasped onto Merlin's arm with an iron grip, startling the warlock.

"Merlin!" he hissed through gritted teeth, "Merlin!

"I'm here, Arthur," Merlin responded, trying to sound as soothing as possible, "It's all alright, I'm here. It was just a dream."

"Don't go to the cave!" Arthur all but begged. Merlin had no idea what he was talking about. Yet Arthur saying something about a cave made him shudder, making him think of his own dream.

"I'm not going anywhere. Come on, Arthur. Wake up! You're scaring me now."

Arthur's grip slowly relaxed and the fear in his eyes began to diminish. As his breathing calmed, Merlin set about making breakfast, trying to pretend that nothing was wrong. Placing the tray on Arthur's lap, Merlin was surprised when Arthur's hand shot out of nowhere and seized his wrist again.

"_Never_ speak of that again. Do you understand? Never, to no one!"

"Yes, Sire" Merlin nodded and turned away, so Arthur couldn't see the smile dancing across his lips. If he wasn't so frightened of the dreams himself, this morning would have made perfect blackmail material whenever Arthur wanted sword practice…

As Arthur finished eating his breakfast and Merlin generally pottered about the room, tidying odd bits up but unsure of what to do whilst Arthur was still in bed, there came an unexpected visitor.

Uther had received worrying news regarding Claton and wanted to tell Arthur immediately, rather than waiting for his son to get out of bed. Entering Arthur's chambers with an unmistakable authority that simply screamed respect, Uther immediately became worried by what he saw.

"Arthur, what happened? Do I need to send for Gaius?" Arthur stared at his father nonplussed. Yes, the dream was on his mind, but he thought that he had covered that up by now. Yet Uther's worry was obviously about something major. Seeing that his son had no idea what he was talking about, Uther decided to elaborate the point, "Is that blood all over your bed, Arthur?"

Arthur looked down and couldn't believe what he saw. A tacky red substance was all over his bed and by how sticky his face felt, all over him as well. Yet he couldn't place what it was, still not having realised how Merlin woke him up. Frowning, he called his servant over, not missing how shifty Merlin was.

"Merlin," He said rather obviously, "what _is_ all over my bed? I thought I told you to change it yesterday."

Merlin shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, not quite sure how to answer Arthur. He didn't want to get in trouble with the king for the second day in a row.

"I believe it's wine, Sire" He said meekly, looking at the floor. Arthur was giving him a very strange look, which clearly said 'how did wine get all over me and my bed?' but Uther had come to his own conclusions.

"Arthur!" He cried in angry dismay, "I'll stop the kitchen staff giving you _anything_ if you're going to drink even when in bed and spill it everywhere. I didn't realise that you were taking that much liberty!"

Arthur gaped at his father in disbelief. He really thought that Arthur had a drinking problem? Then the situation got even stranger as Uther beckoned Merlin over, who looked extremely worried. Tossing him a gold coin, Uther addressed Merlin directly, something that the servant was definitely not used to.

"Here, boy, take this. Take my son's sheets down to the laundry and give them this to get the stains out. It will take you all day by yourself and I'm sure that you have many other jobs to be getting on with that do not involve Arthur and his drinking." He said to which Arthur tried to protest feebly but, in truth, neither he nor Merlin could believe their luck. Merlin had got away with tossing wine all over the bed and Arthur had somehow made his father believe that he had problems.

Not wanting to discuss Claton whilst Arthur was in a wine covered bed, Uther ordered his son to come and see him when he was decent.

_If looks could kill_, was Merlin's only thought as the King strode from the room. The glare that Arthur was giving him would have made any one drop dead but Merlin was getting used to the prince's killing stares. He had received them once too often...

"So, Merlin." Arthur began, his teeth gritted again, only with frustration rather than fear this time, "How _did_ wine really get all over my bed?"

"I had to wake you somehow." Merlin said, as if it was obvious, "Having something tipped over me is the only way I seem to be able to wake from the nightmare, I thought it would be the same for you…"

"You had another dream, then?" Arthur was quick on the mark today, despite being woken by having wine poured on him. It didn't take a genius to work out why Merlin was looking so pale, why there were huge bags under his eyes, and most importantly, why he was early for work…

Merlin nodded shortly and looked away. It was clear that he did not want to talk about it.

"What about you? You seemed pretty shaken up. In fact, you seemed to be worried, frightened even." Merlin wanted to make sure if his suspicions were correct and Claton was taking his revenge on both of the boys, not just one of them. For a reason he couldn't describe, Merlin didn't want to be alone in this; he wanted someone to know how he felt about the dreams and the whole situation. And for an even stranger reason that he wasn't sure of, he wanted that person to be the wine covered prince glowering at him from a sticky bed.

"It was nothing." The prince said dismissively, trying to juggle the breakfast tray with one hand and climb out of bed with the other. His servant seemed to have no inclination whatsoever about helping, so Arthur decided to twist the dream slightly. "Someone let you lose with a sword. It was enough to terrify anyone."

Merlin smirked sarcastically at the prince, knowing that Arthur wouldn't admit to what he saw and would definitely not admit to being scared, not to Merlin, anyway.

"Anyway, it seems I have matters of importance to talk to my father about. One of them being his apparent belief that I have a drinking problem." Catching sight of Merlin's face, Arthur felt a spark of annoyance; his servant was finding all of this far too amusing, "You think that this is funny, don't you? Well, just so you don't kill yourself laughing, I want my armour re-polishing. You missed a spot yesterday so the whole thing needs re-doing."

Merlin groaned as he finally took the breakfast tray from the prince. Even then, it was out of no desire to help Arthur but because he knew who would have to clear up the mess when he dropped it, something he was getting very close to doing. Where did Arthur keep thinking these jobs up from? It wasn't just the armour that needed polishing; everything Arthur was wearing at that precise moment was covered in a red stain, not to mention Arthur himself.

Merlin sighed; it was going to be one of those days...


	9. Chapter 8

He was indeed right. The day was _very_long and _very_boring. After finally cleaning up the mess in Arthur's room, re-polishing his armour, sorting out the stained clothing and doing about a thousand other mundane servant tasks, Merlin started to wonder where Arthur had got to. He said that he would be back straight after his meeting with Uther and that he wanted to get some more practice in. He had taken great delight in telling Merlin that he didn't think that the practice would help Merlin at all, but even so, Merlin had expected him back ages ago.

Perched on the corner of Arthur's bed, pretending to be straightening the long line of boots (seriously, how many pairs of boots can one person want, even if they were prince?) Merlin thought he could hear Arthur coming. This in itself was something new, the prince must be in a really bad mood to coming storming down the corridor that heavily.

Once again, Merlin was right. Bursting into his room in a temper that not even Merlin had seen him in; Arthur was practically shaking with rage. After all of his father's threats about what would happen if he had gone to the villages to sort out Claton there, the sorcerer had managed to slip into Camelot unseen and made Uther think that Arthur should have dealt with him away from the castle. Arthur was beginning to feel like that he could never do anything right in his father's eyes.

"Pack my hunting stuff, Merlin. I'm leaving in the morning."

"Leaving?" Merlin asked in what almost could be considered as alarm, "Where are you going? You can't leave, not now, not after everything that has been going on."

Feeling slightly touched at the concern in his servant's voice, Arthur felt some of his anger ebbing away.

"Don't worry, I'll be straight back. There is a belief that Claton is nearby, and we are going to search the forest at first light to try and track him down." Arthur wasn't quite sure why he didn't tell Merlin that Claton was closer than nearby, but on seeing how deathly white Merlin went at that news, was glad that he didn't.

"I need you to return to Gaius, Merlin. Take my swords with you, _both_ of them. I want you to sharpen them over night and bring them back to me at first light. I have to prepare and I don't need you getting in the way."

Merlin, having nothing more to say on the subject, collected the sword from the table and left the room. Arthur sighed and started to cross his room. He couldn't believe that he told Merlin to keep out of the way. What he had really wanted to say was that he wanted to make sure that he was safe but somehow, the words got muddled before they made it out of his mouth.

Before he could reach his destination of the window, his foot connected with something hard and cold. Glancing down, he saw the tip of his _other_ sword poking out from under his bed. The only thought that crossed his mind was, _the idiot._

Merlin tucked the sword under his arm as he made his way down the corridor. Things were certainly wrong at the moment; this was the second night off in three days that the prince had given him. Yes, he still had to sharpen the sword, but that was nothing compared to normal. Thinking about the sword, Merlin was sure that he had forgotten something.

Just as he realised exactly what he had forgotten, Merlin thought he heard a noise from somewhere behind him. Turning in that direction, he frowned as he squinted down the dark corridor. Nothing could be seen, yet Merlin was sure that there was definitely someone, (or something) there.

"Hello," He called, his voice echoing mysteriously off the stone walls and bouncing the sound all around him, "is anyone there?"

As Merlin listened carefully for a reply, he heard the noise again but once again, it was from behind him. Spinning back round, instinctively clutching the sword tighter and allowing the magic inside him to build up, Merlin could still see nothing in the corridor. The noise sounded for a third time, sending the warlock twisting back again, his breath starting to become faster and faster as it tried to match his raising heart.

"Hello?" He called again.

"Hello, Merlin." A voice replied, "Long time, no see."

Merlin spun around faster than any normal human could and found himself face to face with the figure that had haunted his nightmares.

Claton raised a gnarled hand, pointed it in Merlin's direction and before he had time to think anything, let alone run, Merlin experienced a blinding pain in the back of his head, before he felt himself sinking down into a cold icy nothingness.

*

Arthur strode purposefully down the corridor, the other sword tucked firmly under his arm. He had only given the idiot one job and yet he had managed to muck that up. He _really was_ the worst servant ever…

Reaching the physician's chambers, Arthur hammered on the door with a clenched fist and before anyone had the chance to react, he yelled through the wood.

"You idiot_,_ _Merlin_. To sharpen both swords you need _both_ of them with you. It'll be difficult with only one!" The door opened and Arthur was a bit taken aback to find himself facing Gaius, he had been expecting a shameful Merlin, "Ah Gaius," He continued, "My buffoon of a servant left this behind. Can you give it to him as he hasn't the courage to face me." Arthur tried to hand the sword to the old man but was met with resistance as Gaius frowned at him.

"You've already dismissed him for the night?"

Arthur frowned back; surely that would have been obvious when Merlin had turned up.

"Of course, about half an hour ago. He hasn't got back yet?"

Both Gaius's and Arthur's frowns deepened as Gaius shook his head.

"You said that he was to sharpen your swords? Maybe he has taken a detour by Gwen's?"

"Gwen's?" Arthur was completely confused now. Why would Merlin take the sword to Gwen?

"Her father is a blacksmith." Gaius pointed out, making the prince feel like a fool.

Immediately realising what Gaius meant, Arthur turned on his heels and marched back through the emptying corridors, only realising that Gaius was following him when he heard the old man call him back and guide him through a short cut down into the lower market. And he was so sure that he knew everything there was to know about the castle...

Neither prince nor physician spoke a word as they continued on their speedy march, unwelcoming thoughts rocketing through their heads. Gaius was trying to be practical, Merlin may have met someone he knew and be having a chat, it was just like him to lose track of time. But yet, deep down, the old man knew that something was far more wrong than that, he had never been _this_ late back before.

Arthur was having similar thoughts. As much as the idiot annoyed him, he knew that he couldn't bear it if something happened to him. He felt protective of Merlin, as if the skinny boy needed defending from everything and that it was up to Arthur to stand up for him. He was only a servant, after all. The knowledge that Merlin and Claton knew each other and that Claton was somewhere in Camelot filled Arthur with dread. He was more than aware of what Claton was capable of.

It wasn't long at all before the unsuspecting Gwen had a rather furious pounding on her front door. Before either her or her father could move, the door burst open, the prince striding in and Gaius close behind. The physician seemed to be in the middle of giving the younger man a lecture on manners, not that Arthur was paying any attention.

They both stared when they saw that Tom was home from the smithy.

"Gwen." Gaius began, "You haven't seen Merlin by any chance have you? We thought he might have bought Arthur's swords here."

"_Sword._" Arthur cut in, motioning to the one that he still had in his hand.

Gwen looked at them in bemusement, "Why would he bring them here? Not that I wouldn't want him to, but why would he want to?"

Arthur looked at Gaius's face to see if he had understood that better. Morgana's maid never could say things in a straight way…

Gaius was frowning but not in a way that indicated that he had misunderstood. Before he could say anything, Arthur correctly interpreted the expression.

"So where the hell is he then?!"

Silence met the prince's demand, something Arthur was not used too. Gaius looked worried, Gwen confused and the blacksmith in the corner peaceful as he fell asleep, despite having the prince of Camelot in his house.

"Right, here is what we are going to do. Gwen, stay here just in case he is coming to get the sword sharpened. And if he does show up, tell him from me that he's an idiot. Gaius, go back to your chambers in case he turns up there. And likewise about the message from me." Arthur ordered, commandingly pointing the sword in his hand at each person in turn.

"What are you going to do, Sire?" Gaius asked. The look on Arthur's face made Gaius realise just how worried he was about the servant, he so fondly kept calling an idiot.

"I'm going to see if I can find him. Send a message with one of the guards – if he shows up they will be able to find me." Arthur finished off.

"What of the king? Should he be told just in case it is something to do with Claton?" Gaius asked.

"Who?" Gwen interrupted but both of the men ignored her – more important things on their minds.

Arthur was thinking hard and fast. If he told his father then he knew that he would immediately forbid Arthur to do anything about finding the lost servant. This time he would just have to manage without the knights at his disposal – he had done it before, he could manage it again.

"No." Arthur responded to Gaius's query, "If it transpires into something serious, then perhaps I'll reconsider. If it is nothing, however, Merlin will be done for when he shows back up again."

The physician nodded and the two men left, leaving Gwen starting to feel really worried. If Arthur was concerned about Merlin and not attempting to hide it, what could have possibly happened?

Outside Gwen's house, the two took opposite directions. Gaius hurried back to his chambers, trying to think of a gentle way to break to Hunith that her son was missing, while Arthur strode towards his room, determined to retrace Merlin's exact footsteps to work out where he was.


	10. Chapter 9

Arthur paced the same stretch of corridor for the third time. He had travelled the route back and forth from his chambers to the physicians, each time with the hope that a sheepish Merlin would be waiting for him at Gaius's, but to no avail. He had already given one set of guards a rambled excuse about wanting to walk around, when they'd found him pacing, and knew that if he didn't find anything soon he would have to give up before someone told his father.

It was only as he turned for the fifth time that something unordinary caught his eye. Balancing delicately on one of the windowsills that littered this part of the corridor was a sword, and not just any sword. Arthur would have recognised it anywhere. It was his sword – the one that Merlin had remembered to pick up.

Frowning at the weapon's position, Arthur cautiously approached, instinctively drawing the sword in his belt. He wasn't just suspicious because he had found his sword in the middle of a corridor, but the position it was sitting in. It was balanced on the very edge of the sill, obviously having being deliberately placed there for someone to notice. As Arthur drew closer, he noticed that there was a scroll balancing on the hilt. Starting in surprise, Arthur sheathed the sword in his hand and picked up the scroll in the other. On the outside of the parchment was a clear, sloping writing that Arthur didn't recognise. It read:

_Prince,_

_Do not open this until you reach your own chambers. You wouldn't want to risk the consequences of not doing so._

_Believe me, I will know._

That was it – no signature or explanation, but Arthur immediately set off back to his room, worry building up inside him. When he reached his room, he shut the door behind him, then had second thoughts and turned the lock as well. He wasn't sure why he didn't want to be disturbed but something told him that it was better that way. Throwing the sword unceremoniously onto the table, Arthur took the letter in both hands and crossed over to the fireplace.

Borrowing the light from the flames, Arthur tried to ignore the fact that his hand was shaking as he carefully broke the seal and unrolled the parchment.

_The great, mighty Prince Arthur,_

_You may have perhaps noticed that your manservant is without your sword. In fact, Merlin seems to be without a lot at the moment. However, if you do not do exactly what this friendly note says, I will be taking further things from that short list and he will soon be without his life as well._

_Did that get your attention? Thought it might. Let us continue._

_You may have guessed that it is I, the humble Claton, whom is responsible for the absence of your servant. He and I go way back and I just couldn't resist the chance for a catch up. I would be thrilled if you would join us. That way, as the saying goes, I can kill two birds with one stone._

_So be a good little birdie and follow the breadcrumbs. If you look out of your window now, you might perhaps see something red waving at you from the top of the tree, quite far in the distance. You might be thinking, 'doesn't that look like Merlin's scarf' you would be right. The clues are hidden throughout the forest, so you can make it a game to come and find us._

_Your humble friend,_

_Claton._

_P.S. You might want to hurry, Merlin looks pathetically weak at the moment, not sure how much longer he will last._

_P.P.S. Don't bother telling anyone either – Merlin certainly won't like the outcome of that._

If Arthur was ignoring the trembling of his hands before reading the note, there was no chance he could afterwards. He shook, not just with worry about Merlin but with pure rage. How dare the sorcerer take his friend? How dare he threaten his life? Without stopping to think, Arthur grabbed his hunting bag from where Merlin had finished packing it earlier that night, made sure that both swords were firmly sheathed and strode out of the room, almost crashing headlong into Morgana.

"Arthur!" She cried, "Please, at least look where you're going!"

To her surprise, the prince simply carried on walking, not even bothering to look at her. He stormed round the corner and out of sight whilst Morgana stood there, looking stunned at his behaviour. Whilst she was trying to decipher the meaning of Arthur's strange manner she heard light running footsteps come up behind her and turned in time to see a panting Gwen skid to a halt.

"My Lady." She gasped, clutching the stitch in her side, "I'm so sorry I haven't been here to attend on you."

"It's fine, Gwen." Morgana responded, still frowning at the corner where Arthur had disappeared, "I don't suppose you know what's up with Arthur, do you? He looks like a man on a mission."

"Oh, that." Gwen said while still trying to regain her breath, "There was some mishap early, neither Gaius nor Arthur could find Merlin. I think he was a little worried."

"Think he still might be…" Morgana replied as a thought sprung into her head, "Stay here and let me know if anyone is coming, won't you Gwen?"

Before giving her maid a time to respond, Morgana carefully pushed Arthur's door open and crept in.

Needing a clue as to Arthur's behaviour, Morgana was looking for anything that looked out of place in the prince's messy chambers, and it didn't take her long to spot a piece of parchment on the floor where it had been thrown in fury. Picking it up, Morgana quickly scanned through the document before gasping so loudly in horror that Gwen came running in, looking worried.

"Claton." She hissed fearfully, "He's got Merlin and Arthur's gone after them!"

"Who _is_Claton?" Gwen asked, "Both Gaius and Arthur mentioned him earlier. You must tell Uther if Arthur is in danger!"

"I can't." Morgana whispered, the fear evident in her voice, "The note says that he will kill Merlin if anyone finds out!"

"Finds out what?" An unexpected voice joined the conversation and both girls jumped as Uther strode in. The expression on his face made Morgana's heart sink; there was just no way that they would be able to stop Uther finding out now.

*

It had taken Arthur less than five minutes to reach the stable and saddle his horse.

Urging the mount on, Arthur trotted out into the courtyard. It was getting late so he hadn't expected anyone to be out, yet as he watched in amazement, nearly all the guards in the entire castle spilled out of the doors, blocking any exit. As one, they all drew their swords, the way that Arthur had taught them. Staring at them in confusion, Arthur's face fell when he saw Uther march down the steps, his face furious.

Arthur had a horrible feeling he knew where this was going and, as Uther opened his mouth, proved himself to be right.

"Arrest him."


	11. Chapter 10

The first thought that came into Merlin's head as he groggily opened his eyes was that his head _really_hurt. In fact, he couldn't remember it hurting this much before, even after Arthur had smacked him with his sword during a training practice. The second thing was that he was freezing.

As he pushed himself up into a sitting position, Merlin could make out that he was in some sort of cave.

Using the wall to steady himself, the young warlock carefully climbed to his feet. It was only then that he realised his feet were bare – both his shoes and socks had been removed. As his brain slowly began to function again, making it throb painfully, Merlin became aware that it wasn't only his shoes and socks that had been removed. His jacket, shirt and scarf were also gone, leaving the warlock shivering in the cold as the freezing air attacked his exposed chest.

Now he was up, Merlin took a better look around the cave and felt his heart drop to his cold feet. It was the cave from his dream.

"Ah, you're awake." The hated voice sounded out of the shadows.

Merlin narrowed his eyes, glaring. This person had cost him so much already; it was not going to happen again. The anger within him lent his magic even more strength than usual and without saying a word, his eyes flashed golden and a boulder he didn't even know existed hurtled towards his enemy.

Before it got anywhere near an impact, Claton raised his hand and barked a short command, making the boulder change course in mid-air and shoot towards the warlock. Focusing his gaze on the deadly missile, Merlin couldn't help feeling relieved as the rock stopped in its path and landed with a thump, harmlessly on the ground between the two.

"Oh, very good! Who's become a strong little warlock?" Claton's mocking tone made Merlin hate him even more but didn't know that it was actually to cover up the surprise that the sorcerer was feeling. He knew that Merlin had been strong the last time they'd met and had potential for great things, but stopping the rock had come too naturally to him. It unnerved Claton and so he decided to have a little test.

"It seems we have a little time before your buddy, Arthur gets here. Why don't we play a game to kill the time?"

"Arthur won't come." Merlin hoped his voice sounded more certain than it did to him. At least, he desperately hoped that Arthur wouldn't come, as that would mean that Arthur would be putting himself right in danger's way, "He won't have even realised I've gone so you're pathetic little plan has failed again."

"That's why I sent Arthur a little invitation to our party. Can't have a prince missing out now, can we?"

Merlin shut his eyes in dismay. If the note contained anything of Claton's normal sarcastic manner there was no way Arthur would let it go. He was far too proud for that – something Merlin normally respected him for, but now hated. It was going to get the stubborn prat killed.

"Oh, dear!" Claton drawled, "Have I upset the prince's favourite little warlock now? Let's do something about that, shall we?"

Merlin's eyes flickered back open in time to see stream after stream of magic shooting out of Claton's hand, directly at him. Knowing that just flashing his eyes wouldn't work, Merlin jumped out of the way, no convenient spells coming to mind. Slipping in his haste, Merlin hit the floor and painfully rolled, just as one of the spells shot over his head. It seemed his usual clumsiness had just saved his life!

Scrambling to his feet, Merlin turned as yet another stream of spells shot at him. Raising his hand quickly, the warlock shouted the first thing that came into his head.

"Praesidium!" Although he had a vague inclination that the spell was some sort of protection, Merlin had no idea what it actually did. It was one of the ones he had stumbled across whilst fighting sleep and it surprised him when a silvery shield erupted from his hand, deflecting Claton's spells.

Claton grinned in evil delight as the warlock began to fight back. Keeping his voice low, so that Merlin wouldn't know what was coming at him, he continued to shoot spells at the boy.

The shield took a few more of the spells but then began to flicker.

"No!" Merlin yelled, "Praesidium, Praesidium!" Although the shield held for a few moments longer the next spell that hit it caused it to flicker out of existence.

Try as he might, Merlin couldn't seem to be able to do the spell again. Not only that but it had cost him dear energy, his already sore head spinning sickeningly as the magic took its toll. Not having time to think of another spell, Merlin raced across the cave, trying to find something to hide behind and doing his best to ignore the nauseating swirls in his stomach and head. Every time he took a step, he winced, the rocks cutting into his bare feet. Claton certainly knew how to choose the best place.

Ducking behind a boulder, Merlin crouched, gasping for breath, but trying not to give himself away. He could already hear Claton looking for him and knew it was only a matter of time before he was discovered.

"Do you want a change of game, Merlin?" Claton called mockingly, trying to work out where the boy was hidden with a mild interest, "Shall we play hide and seek now?"

Merlin heard the footsteps getting closer and closer and frantically raced through his memories for a spell that might help him. Just as one popped into his head, he felt the rock he was crouched behind splinter into a thousand pieces, many of them jabbing him in the back. With no protection over his top half, Merlin couldn't help but cry out in pain as shard after shard sliced over his delicate skin.

"Boo!" Claton leered over the frightened boy, delighted that he finally seemed to be getting his own way, "Does little Merlin-Werlin give up yet?"

Merlin got defiantly to his feet, glaring at the sorcerer opposite him. He could never remember feeling hatred this strong before. The two glared into each other's eyes – the look Merlin was displaying being one that Arthur would have been proud of.

Then suddenly, at the same time, they both raised their hands and cried different words.

Their spells rocketed off one another and rebounded on the cavern sides.

Merlin felt himself violently thrown into the air and slammed against the cave wall, at least ten feet from where he started. By the muffled thud, he knew that Claton had fared no better and this encouraged him a little. However, as Claton got to his feet, Merlin felt any confidence disappear. The look in Claton's eyes had gone beyond hatred – it was murder.

Humiliated that Merlin had been able to touch him in any way, Claton let lose a deadly spiral of fire. Gazing at the flames as they shot towards him, Merlin felt hypnotised, seemingly unaware that he was watching his death dance across the cave. It was only at the last minute that he reacted, snapping out of his daze.

"Assero!" He yelled the counter curse with all his might.

The flames disappeared just as gracefully as they had appeared. Merlin smiled in relief but it was short lived. He had used too much magic considering the weakened state he was already in and found himself stumbling backwards, his sight wavering unpleasantly and dimming out.

Claton's face split into one of sheer glee. The boy was managing to destroy himself! Knowing that Merlin was past using magic, Claton strode forward. Merlin tried to back away but was unable to move fast enough. Using only one hand, Claton seized the boy and pushed him against the wall, his other hand finding Merlin's throat.

Squeezing gently, almost lovingly, Claton's fist slowly clenched, cutting off Merlin's air supply. Spots were beginning to form in front of Merlin's eyes and all he could see was Claton's face, leering over him as his enemy strangled him.

"Now for the prince as well." Claton whispered, voice full of malice delight.

Merlin struggled weakly in his grasp, refusing to give up. Just before he sank into darkness, one last thought crossed his mind. He had failed Arthur. He had failed his destiny.


	12. Chapter 11

**Wow-over 60 reviews-thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to let me know what they think-means a lot guys, thanks!**

"Let me out!" Arthur growled at his father through the bars. Uther had not even come into the cell, knowing that Arthur was in one of his brash moods and was not quite sure what to expect from the furious prince. The king had decided that it was safer for everyone if he remained on the other side of the door.

"No." The king said grimly, earning an expression full on anger.

"Let. Me. Out." The prince's snarled dangerously, fists clenching around the bars.

"I said no, Arthur. I will not let you throw away your life by going chasing after a servant because he has associated himself with a sorcerer."

"Merlin didn't associate himself with anyone. He was _kidnapped_ by a sorcerer. There's a difference. He'll be killed if I don't go!"

Arthur was furious with his father but also with himself. By letting himself get caught, the prince was well aware that Merlin might already be dead; the letter had made that much clear.

"And _you_ will be killed if you go. And then who will save him? So either way, it looks like you will need a new servant. Better one life lost than two."

Uther's adamant manner about the whole situation meant that Arthur's anger was reaching dangerously high levels.

"You can't stop me!" Arthur yelled, "I won't let him die." He added more quietly with determination.

"_I_can't stop you?" The king scoffed with a laugh, "Have you seen where you are, Arthur? You're not going anywhere. I'll see you're let out when this is over."

With those final words, Uther turned on his heel and marched out of the dungeon, his cape billowing majestically behind him. The thud behind him made him realise that Arthur had thrown himself at the bars in frustration, making the King wonder just how much his son cared about his servant.

Arthur watched Uther's retreating back, wanting desperately to blame his father for everything but knowing deep down that Uther only wanted to protect his heir.

Pacing back and forth, it took him only a few attempts to realise that his cell was ten steps long and ten wide. Eventually, the prince's frustration slowly started to melt and he sank against the wall, head in his hands.

"I'm so sorry, Merlin." He whispered. He'd let his servant, his _friend_ down.

*

"Uhh…" Merlin couldn't help groaning as he painfully returned to consciousness for the second time. This time, it wasn't just his head that hurt, wasn't just that he was freezing but he was also really uncomfortable.

Shifting his position slightly, Merlin realised with a start that he was slumped against a wall, his hands suspended above him in iron manacles that cut deeply into his flesh. Tugging slightly, Merlin tried to pull against the chains but to no avail.

As his vision cleared, the young warlock decided he would risk using magic once more, determined to get out before Arthur turned up and got himself caught in a trap.

His eyes flashed golden as Merlin focused his mind on the shackles above him and released the magic within him.

Only too late did he realise the blue shimmering light that surrounded the manacles. His magic not only had no effect but also backfired on him, sending shocks rippling through his body. Wincing, Merlin heard a soft laugh as Claton entered his vision, standing at the far end of the cave, leaning over a basin inset in stone.

"Anti-magic manacles, Merlin." He said softly, "You aren't going anywhere."

Merlin could only watch in defeat as Claton continued to mutter to himself whilst waving his hand over the basin. He paused, staring, and then cursed to himself. From the other end of the cave, Merlin could make out only a few words but was definitely sure that he heard both Arthur's name and Uther's.

"I should keep true to my promise and kill you for that." Claton said suddenly, turning to the perplexed boy. Merlin couldn't work out what he had done now to cause this sudden change but Claton seemed to want to enlighten him as he strode down the cave menacingly.

"I made it quite clear that he was to tell no one. All right, he didn't technically but what fun is it for me if the Prince is locked in a cell in Camelot's dungeons? I need him _here_, trying to rescue you."

Merlin grinned cheekily up at the man looming over him with a mockingly raised eyebrow. He knew it was a risk goading the man but he couldn't resist it.

"Looks like your plan failed after all. Why don't you let me go now?" He asked with an innocent voice.

Claton bent over and seized Merlin by the shoulder, his fingers biting into the bare flesh and causing the boy to cry out.

"Don't you worry. My fun is far from over!"

Raising the boy just high enough to cause his arms to bend at a painful angle, Claton dropped him again, smirking with satisfaction as Merlin hit the ground hard.

The sorcerer strode back into the middle of the cave and started chanting something under his breath. Although he didn't understand the words that the man was using, Merlin felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up; it was raw power that was being used, that was for sure.

A strange wind seemed to appear around the sorcerer's feet and Merlin realised that it was similar as to what the witch disguised as Lady Helen had used when he had first seen her. As that realisation hit him, Merlin knew exactly what Claton was about to do.

Just before he disappeared, Claton looked over his shoulder at the warlock slumped against the wall. The younger man seemed to realise that he was stuck for the time being and had gone back to tugging on the chain, as if hoping they would break. An evil grin crossed his face.

"Don't go anywhere whilst I'm gone!" He called back jeeringly.

Before the struggling Merlin could respond, the man whipped his head upwards and disappeared into thin air.

Merlin stared at the spot where he had disappeared, a mixture of relief and fear spreading through his aching body. Relieved, for he had a much higher chance of getting out of here without Claton around but fearful because he knew that he was going after Arthur and he hadn't seemed happy with the prince. For the first time since they had met, Merlin was glad Uther was around. He knew all too well the only reason Arthur would be locked in a cell was because his father was trying to prevent him from doing anything rash.

Trying to take advantage of the lack of sorcerer breathing down his neck, Merlin twisted awkwardly and braced himself.

Throwing all his weight forward, he strained against the chains only to have them cut into him painfully. After repeating this a few times, Merlin realised that he wasn't going to get out like this. He could already feel the warm trickle of blood running down his arms where the metal had bitten into him.

Yelling out in frustration, Merlin decided to use magic again. So maybe Claton had cast a spell on them to prevent him from using magic to escape but hadn't everyone always told him that he was powerful?

Letting his magic build up, Merlin breathed in deeply, every ounce of him focused on the shackles above his head. Trying to keep calm, he slowly exhaled, releasing the magic as he did so. Almost immediately, he could feel the magic being channelled back into him, sharp shocks coursing through him. Yet the warlock refused to stop, continuing to reach down into the part of him that he didn't really understand. Eventually there came a time where he simply had no magic left to send out and it was only then that he succumbed to the piercing darkness, allowing it to stop the pain


	13. Chapter 12

Arthur sat slouched in the corner of his cell, his head in his hands. He hadn't touched the food or water that the servants had bought him, refusing to allow himself to have them when he knew that Merlin didn't. If he was still alive that was...

"Well, well, well, this does look like fun."

Arthur's head jerked upright to find a horribly familiar man standing casually in the opposite corner, leaning on the wall, one leg crossing the other and arms folded. His relaxed posture made Arthur feel the hate pouring out of him. Directing his feelings towards the sorcerer, Arthur climbed to his feet, determined not to let his actions give away his racing heart. How had the guards not heard the sorcerer aproach?

"Where's Merlin?" Arthur demanded angrily, "What have you done with him?"

"If I had done what I promised I would do if anyone found out, then there wouldn't _be_ a Merlin left to be talking about. However, I was feeling generous and decided to let him live for the time being. I have to say, it was touch and go at one point, all I had to do was to squeeze for a few seconds longer but I knew I would miss half the fun if your servant died before you reached us – before you could see him die right in front of you." Claton said with a mocking smirk whilst inspecting his nails.

Arthur's pounding heart refused to slow at the sorcerer's words. Part of him felt relieved – Merlin was still alive – but he wasn't sure if that was necessarily good. There was no telling what the twisted man opposite him might have done.

"Would you like to see him?" The sorcerer continued, his voice softer now, more deadly, "I can show him to you right this second, you wouldn't even have to leave your comfy cell." Arthur frowned, expecting some sort of trick. Claton merely picked up the goblet of water resting on the low table and crossed the cell to stand next to the prince. Arthur tried not to flinch as Claton touched him but the sorcerer simply offered him the goblet, "Look into the cup" He said before starting to chant under his breath.

Arthur shivered as he felt the magic being cast, but couldn't keep his eyes off the small image that was appearing on the surface of the water. He could see his servant, unconscious and slumped against a wall, his hands chained above him. He was shirtless, allowing Arthur to see the number of small cuts that littered his body from where the rock had exploded and a nasty red welt on his shoulder, which looked suspiciously like finger marks.

Unable to tear his gaze away, Arthur heard Claton laughing softly beside him, almost chuckling into his ear.

"I told him that wouldn't work. Yet he still had to try it." The amusement was apparent in the sorcerer's voice but Arthur didn't know what he was talking about. At that moment, he found that he didn't care; he only had eyes for the unconscious boy.

"Why don't we wake him up?" The sorcerer continued, his voice deadly quiet.

Before the prince could respond, Claton once again began chanting. Arthur couldn't believe his eyes as the manacles holding Merlin started lighting up, shocks of energy radiating out of them and into the boy below. After a few moments, Arthur could see Merlin beginning to stir as energy continued to flow into him. Eventually, he opened his eyes and Arthur felt his heart clench as he saw the look in them. There was a fury that he never knew Merlin was capable of possessing but it was more the pain that captured the prince's heart.

Not sure what his manservant had gone through, Arthur knew only one thing. Merlin was hurting, bad, and he felt responsible for it. As Merlin shifted position, trying sit up a little straighter from where he was sprawled, his eyes wondered the cave, searching. Arthur knew he was looking for Claton but any thoughts were driven from his mind as the younger boy looked directly into his eyes.

"He can't see you." Claton said, determined to ruin any hope that Arthur had but yet, Arthur would still not look away. He may not have been able to see him but neither had Merlin broken the eye contact either.

"Let him go. He's only my servant. I'll come with you but just let him go. Please." Arthur said, his voice wavering as he tried to keep the pleading tinge away.

The prince couldn't believe that he was practically begging a sorcerer but the look in Merlin's eyes was haunting him – the pain and misery he saw there. He didn't want anything else to happen to the boy.

"_Your_ manservant!" Claton said, his voice dancing in delight, "Why don't we let everyone know exactly who is his master then? Oh, and so you know, I don't think that your manservant thinks a lot of you, he was adamant that you wouldn't be coming for him."

Before Arthur could question what he had in mind, Claton appeared to go into a trance. His hands were spiralling in front of him and strange words were pouring from his mouth. Arthur looked back into the cup and gasped in absolute horror.

Merlin was straining against the bonds holding him, his body rigid. A deep burn was spreading across his chest and as it continued, he saw him yell out in pain.

"Stop!" Arthur choked, as a sweat broke out on Merlin's brow and he appeared to be struggling to breathe, "Stop it, please. You're hurting him!"

Claton only smiled sadistically and carried on chanting.

Part of him rebelled against looking but the stronger part meant that Arthur's eyes were involuntary drawn back to the cup. As Claton finished chanting, Arthur felt tears appear in his eyes as he looked upon Merlin. The boy's eyes were rolling wildly in his head, his chest heaving as he hyperventilated from the pain. But Arthur didn't notice any of this. He only had eyes for the burn on his servant's chest. It was raw and already beginning to blister but didn't look entirely natural, as if there was magic within the burn itself. What horrified Arthur more than anything else was that Claton hadn't been kidding when he said that everyone was going to know whom Merlin was a servant to. Across his chest, the burn had formed a letter. As Merlin hung his head with exhaustion, Arthur found that he couldn't tear his eyes away, for burnt deep and painful, a capital 'A' was spread across his manservant's torso.

His breathing as fast as his servant's, Arthur dropped the cup and stormed to the other side of the cell, determined to put as much space between him and the deranged lunatic next to him.

"Try getting out of that one, Merlin." Claton whispered, his voice full of loathing. It was only then that Arthur remembered that it wasn't just him that was wanted dead by the sorcerer; Merlin had also crossed him before. It was just a matter of how much he could hurt both of them before finishing them off.

"How could you?" Arthur asked, trying to stop the shaking of his voice, but failing. "You twisted, sick bast-"

"Now, now." Claton cut in mockingly, the raising of his hand silencing the prince. It wasn't that Arthur was obeying him; it was more that he found himself physically incapable of finishing his sentence, "Watch your language, Prince Charming. Daddy won't be happy with his little son if he was using naughty words now, would he?"

His fury getting the better of him, Arthur threw himself across the cell and lunged at the sorcerer. What he didn't realise was that was exactly what Claton had been waiting for. Grabbing the prince's arm, he twisted it behind his back, locking the struggling Arthur into him. Muttering again, he whipped his head upwards and disappeared, taking the prince of Camelot with him.

*

Gaius was worried. There was no way that he could deny that. Hunith had finally fallen asleep after hours of frantic pacing and waiting. Nothing had been heard or seen of Merlin for hours and after hearing about Arthur's arrest, Gaius was sure that the prince had been onto something.

Realising that it was no good staying there worrying, Gaius decided he would visit Arthur and try to find what he had found out. Assuming Uther would allow anyone in to see him.

To his amazement, Gaius found that the way to Arthur's cell was unchallenged and he only had to speak to a guard once, to find out which cell the prince was in. Reaching the door, Gaius grasped the bars with one wrinkled hand.

"Arthur? Sire? Have you found anything about Merlin?"

Gaius waited, expecting an answer but to his utmost confusion, not even a whisper sounded. There was no rustle of straw as Arthur moved, just absolute silence. Frowning, the physician peered in and then started. There was a reason why the cell was so silent. There was no one in it…

Calling the guards quickly, Gaius shook the door to the cell but found it was still locked.

One of the guards pulled out a key and Gaius rushed in as soon as the door was open. His suspicions had been right – the cell was empty. But how could Arthur have got out and passed the guards through a locked door?

Glancing quickly around, Gaius frantically looked for any clues about the prince's whereabouts. He saw the goblet lying on the floor and felt his frown deepen. There was something horribly magic about all of this. _Something_, the old physician thought, _that had Claton written all over it_. First Merlin and now Arthur? The chances of both of them disappearing within hours of each other was too great a coincidence.

Leaving the guards behind to tell Uther what had happened, not envying them in the slightest, Gaius hurried to the prince's room, wondering if he had left any clues behind. His hunting bag lay just inside the door, obviously having been returned after his arrest. The rest of the room was a tip but like Morgana, Gaius soon found the parchment. It was slightly easier for him as it had been left on the table rather than the floor but after reading it, Gaius's reaction was the same.

A strange light came into the old man's eyes on reading and he looked out of the window to see Merlin's scarf fluttering in the distance. His worry for the boys clouded over any sensible thoughts and the physician set off for the stables. If Arthur couldn't rescue Merlin, then it was up to Gaius to rescue them both.


	14. Chapter 13

"Try getting out of that one."

Merlin could hear Claton's voice echoing through his head as he struggled to control himself. His chest was on fire and after figuring out the shape of the letter, Merlin knew that Claton was with Arthur, that the prince had somehow seen the whole thing.

Whilst the visible burn hurt enough, that was only half of it. Arthur had been right in thinking that the burn looked magical. Merlin could feel the magic within it, penetrating his skin painfully. It seemed to be suffocating him, cutting him off from himself. It was only as he closed his eyes in a vain attempt to stop it hurting that Merlin really knew what was wrong. He couldn't feel his magic…

Normally, even when not using it, Merlin was conscious that it was there. It always had been – it was part of who he was. But not now. Now there was only emptiness, a hollowness that scared the warlock more than anything. He felt as if part of him had been torn away, leaving only emptiness and pain in its wake.

Much to his shame, Merlin felt hot tears seeping through the corners of his shut eyes. He truly felt helpless and knew that Arthur was in danger yet there was nothing he could do to help. With his hands tied above him, Merlin couldn't even move to wipe the tears away, instead having to allow them to course down his cheeks silently. Leaning his head back against the wall, Merlin sighed, defeat simply screaming at him.

"Let GO of me!" An all too familiar voice sounded from the passageway near to where Merlin was. Craning his head around, Merlin could just about see the opening where the sounds were coming from.

"Why?" Another horribly familiar voice responded, "If I remember correctly, you were volunteering to come a while ago."

"If you _were_ to remember correctly, you would also remember the condition that went with that. As that didn't happen, I don't see why I should uphold my end of the deal!" Came the indignant reply.

Merlin could hear Claton's laugh echoing through the stone, similar to the way that it echoed through his head. Anxious to see the opening, Merlin twisted even further, before his chest refused to allow him to move any more, the damaged skin almost yelling at him.

But it was far enough. Just as he turned, Arthur came flying out of the entrance, only to land with a loud thud not ten feet from his servant. With his hands tied behind his back, he was unable to break his fall and landed heavily on his jaw. Rolling over, Arthur used his legs to kick himself back upright while eyeing the opening with wariness, watching Claton carefully as the sorcerer emerged. However, Claton completely ignored the prince and strode down to the other end, only pausing to eye Merlin with satisfaction.

"Told you we couldn't have a prince missing out on our party. I should thank you really; you've already provided us with _so_ much entertainment."

Laughing at the look of fury on both Arthur's and Merlin's faces, Claton continued down to the other end and once again began staring into his mystical basin.

After gathering his bearings, Arthur caught a glimpse of Merlin. When he had seen the cave in the goblet, he was seeing things from an advantage point somewhere near the ceiling and it took him a few moments to locate where the boy would be.

Arthur scrambled over to him, horrified by the state that he was in. He almost slipped several times, not being able to balance himself properly on the uneven floor. Awkwardly dropping to his knees, not an easy feat when there is no use of hands, Arthur crawled the last few metres, until he was at eye level with Merlin.

"Are you alright?" He asked, the concern obvious in his voice.

Merlin nodded, not quite trusting his voice to say the same thing without cracking. He couldn't exactly tell Arthur that he couldn't access his magic and how it made him feel like he was being ripped in half.

"What does he want?" Arthur said, struggling furiously with the ropes around his wrists, determined to break free, "He has us both now, why not just kill us?"

"I think he wants to play." Merlin responded, his lips tight. Both boys looked over to where the sorcerer was staring into the basin. Merlin also couldn't understand what he was waiting for. What could possibly be so interesting in a bowl of water?

"Merlin," Arthur began hesitantly, not quite sure how to say what was on his mind, "If we don't get out of this, I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry – for everything. And you're not really a bad servant. In fact, I think you're the best I've ever had, despite forgetting everything and being hopeless with a sword."

Merlin was stunned at the very least. This was the last thing that he had expected to come from the Prince at this moment in time. The tone Arthur was using reminded him of the conversation they'd had when he'd been in the stocks. Raising this point, Merlin asked whether it had been Claton that Arthur had been talking about.

Arthur nodded, "I guess you can tell whose life was on the line then?"

The other boy stared at him in confusion, not being able to figure it out.

"C'mon, Merlin. How slow can you get?" Arthur couldn't stop the smile, despite the situation they were in. It appeared that Merlin never changed, no matter what….

"I've got an idea," Arthur said suddenly, after a few moments of sitting in silence, "If I was to crawl next to you, do you reckon that you would be able to reach my hands?"

Merlin looked up to where his own hands were suspended and then back at Arthur, clearly calculating whether or not he could reach. Trying to pull himself further up the wall, Arthur could see that every movement was sending pain rippling through the 'A' on his chest, yet Merlin seemed determined not to show it, let alone cry out.

"Go for it." Merlin gritted his teeth and pulled against the chains holding his wrists so that he was sitting up straight. Arthur was awkwardly shuffling around to the wall. If it had been any other situation, Merlin would have laughed, he had never seen Arthur looks so clumsy.

"How about here?" Arthur stopped and tried to raise his bound hands as high as he could. The positioning quickly began to strain his shoulders but if Merlin could suffer being burnt, he could suffer a few sore muscles.

Merlin stretched his own hands out, just able to touch the edge of the rope. Pulling his legs into him to give him more leverage, Merlin rose himself to a crouch and found that he was able to get a good grip on the rope. Luckily, although it was tight, the knot was not complicated and Merlin was quickly able to loosen it.

As soon as he felt it loosen, Arthur pulled and was relieved when he felt the accursed rope slide off. Flexing his hands, Arthur tried rubbing his wrists to get some feeling back into them. He heard Merlin gasp behind him and quickly swivelled on the spot, just in time to see his servant slid back down the wall, his eyes tightly shut. Arthur could tell just by looking at his expression that he was in a lot of pain.

"Come on," The prince said quietly, rising to his feet, "We've got to get you out of here."

Arthur studied the manacles binding Merlin long and hard before he attempted to touch them. He could see the cuts on Merlin's wrists where he had obviously tried to pull himself free and was hesitant to do anything that would hurt the boy further.

Finally though, he knew he had to do something. Taking a breath, Arthur immediately sought out the clasp in the metal, determined to pry it open. As soon as he touched it, Arthur felt shocks radiating out and dropped his hands in a mixture of surprise, pain and anger. Looking at the pale servant slumped below him; Arthur's voice came out at barely more than a whisper.

"What the hell has he done to you?"

"The same thing that he is about to do to you."

The mocking voice sounded directly behind Arthur and the prince spun, tensing automatically into a defensive position. Whilst the two had been busy trying to free themselves, they hadn't noticed the sorcerer watching them from the other side of the cave. They hadn't noticed as he slowly approached, a sadistic smile stretched across his face as he saw how hard it was for Merlin to stay conscious and how concerned Arthur was.

"I've told you before, let him go. He has done nothing to you."

"Nothing?!" Claton's voice rose in pitch and he sounded as if he was trying not to laugh. Merlin's eyes were open again now and Claton saw a new type of fear in them – the fear of being exposed. Deciding to drag it out as long as possible, Claton continued, "I suppose 'nothing' could be a good word. Your attempt at fighting back earlier was rather pathetic. Although I was surprised that you even attempted it, I thought you just relied on your friends to protect you."

"At least I have friends to protect me." Merlin quickly responded waspishly, almost making Arthur jump in the process, who really hadn't expected Merlin to say anything, "But what about you Claton? You have no one, not a single person is going to miss you when you're dead."

"Why, Merlin!" Claton replied, this time not attempting to hide his laughter. "You almost sounded threatening then. Have you been around a certain prince for too long?"

Merlin didn't respond and Arthur took the break in the conversation to leap into action. He hadn't been trained to kill since birth for no reason and as soon as Claton's attention was on Merlin, had stiffened in his defensive stance. Now the moment was right and he lashed out, throwing himself headlong at the sorcerer's midriff.

Taken by surprise, Claton was thrown backwards off balance but Arthur had timed everything to perfection, as usual. As soon as he felt Claton's balance slipping, he righted his own position and kicked. The foot connected with stomach and it was enough to send the sorcerer clattering backwards, landing with a crash on the boulders behind him.

Not waiting to see the situation, Arthur rushed back to the stunned Merlin and tore at the metal. Although he could feel the shocks radiating through them both, Arthur didn't stop and Merlin didn't complain, even if his teeth were gritted together with pain.

His fingers almost going numb, Arthur finally felt the weakening of the joint and pulled as hard as he could, causing the manacle to open and Merlin's wrist to fall out into his lap.

Before he had time to start on the second, Arthur felt himself being pulled away, strong arms encircling him, stopping his attempt at lashing out. The prince could feel that his feet were barely touching the floor and as hard as he struggled, couldn't seem to break the iron grip.

Before he had time to properly think of a way to free himself, Arthur felt himself being launched into the air again. Luckily, with the use of his hands, Arthur was able to break his fall this time and apart from a few grazes, was unharmed. He rolled onto his back, determined to get back to his feet but before he could do so, the prince felt the cold tip of a sword being placed on his neck. He froze and glared at the sorcerer standing over him, cursing himself for not having noticed that Claton was armed.

"Well, now. You are in trouble." Claton said, his tone dangerously soft. He lightly drew the sword across the exposed skin, causing a trickle of blood to appear. Arthur refused to let himself flinch and didn't look away from Claton's eyes, defiance pouring out of them. He wasn't going to give his enemy the satisfaction of knowing how scared he really was.

Growing angry at the lack of fear the prince seemed to have, Claton pressed the point of the sword deeper into his neck, before raising it high.

"Shame your father couldn't see this." He told the boy before him, "But then again, maybe you are too much of a _prat_ for him to really care."

Raising the sword above his head, Claton paused, reading himself to bring it down on the prince. Before he could do so, he felt a hand tap him on the shoulder and instinctively turned.

"What?"

There came no verbal answer to the sorcerer's question. Instead he was met by a fist that came swinging out of nowhere, the force surprising both Arthur and Claton, not to mention the person to whom it belonged. Claton was thrown backwards and fell with a crash, dazed.

"Only I get to call him that." Merlin told him, his fist still drawn back, although it stung slightly from the impact.

Arthur looked at him in amazement. Since when had Merlin been able to punch like that? By the look of shock on his own face, it appeared that Merlin himself had no idea where that came from. Offering his other hand, Merlin pulled the prince to his feet and both boys stared at the semi-conscious sorcerer at their feet.

"How did you free yourself?" Arthur asked, certain he had been stopped before he had completed undoing the manacles.

"I pulled." Merlin said shortly. He didn't want to tell Arthur that by releasing one of the manacles, it had been enough to reconnect warlock with magic and although it had stung like crazy, the impact of the shocks had been bearable enough to use magic to free himself, "Are you alright?" He continued, gesturing to the cut across Arthur's neck. Arthur subconsciously rubbed his hand over the gash but nodded at the same time, ignoring the smears of crimson that covered his palm.

He bent down and picked up the sword from where Claton had dropped it. He noticed Merlin watching him carefully, as if unsure of what the prince's next actions would be. As much as Arthur wanted to kill the man at his feet, he first wanted to make sure that Merlin was safe. Bemused, he shook his head slightly. Since when had he cared more about a servant than killing an evil sorcerer?

"Come on." He said, "Let's go home."

Supporting Merlin with one arm whilst ignoring his protests that he could walk by himself, Arthur led the way back through the opening. Merlin was happy to let him lead, after all, he had no idea where they actually were, having been unconscious on arrival.


	15. Chapter 14

They had made it half way down the tunnel when there came the muffled sounds of footsteps. Someone was coming…

Arthur glanced around quickly and noticing a large boulder off to one side, crouched behind it, pulling Merlin down with him. He felt Merlin wince as he crouched, but neither of them said anything.

Arthur tightened his grip on the sword, glad that he had brought it with him and crept around to the other side of the rock, motioning for Merlin to stay where he was. Although Merlin had no idea what the prince had just told him through the mysterious hand signals, he found that he couldn't move anyway. His chest was on fire again and he had absolutely no intention of moving when it wasn't necessary, so instead he sat against the rock and tried to ignore the cruel blazing pain.

As the footsteps got closer, Merlin knew without having to look that Arthur was tensing, ready to spring out. But listening hard, Merlin could also make out the laboured breathing of whoever it was and something about it made the sound seem familiar.

"Arthur." He hissed and was immediately told to shut up. He tried again and this time, Arthur turned back, annoyance clear in his face.

"What?" Arthur knew that Merlin was hopeless at hunting/stalking/generally being quiet but he thought it obvious that by the fact they were hiding he should remain quiet. Clearly not…

"I recognise the footsteps." As soon as Merlin said it out loud, he knew that it was true. How he could tell he couldn't say but there was definitely something familiar about the slow pace at which the person was walking. What confused Merlin more was why was that person here in the first place? He didn't miss the look of incredulity that Arthur was shooting him but before either of them could say anything, the person came into earshot.

"And that's the other shoe..." The figure could be heard muttering. "If that's the last shoe, then they must be around here somewhere."

The boys looked at each other in disbelief, for there was no mistaking the voice. Merlin was completely flummoxed about what was going on but Arthur appeared to have a slightly better understanding from the expression on his face. Relaxing the arm that held the sword, he stepped out from behind the boulder.

"Looking for us, Gaius?"

There was a stunned silence, shortly followed by an exclamation of joy and surprise.

"Arthur! What happened? You're hurt; you must let me take a look. Where's Merlin?"

"He's over there." Arthur said, unhelpfully gesturing in the vague direction of the boulder where Merlin was trying to pull himself up right, hissing with pain.

"Is he alright?" Gaius asked quickly, "Sit down here, I must look at that cut of yours to make sure it's clean."

"Don't." Arthur protested, looking round to see what was taking Merlin so long, "You're gonna need everything for someone else."

Ignoring Gaius's questions, Arthur stood back up again. He realised by the fact that Merlin still hadn't appeared that he was having trouble and cursed himself for forgetting the state that his manservant was in. Rounding the boulder, he shook his head at the sight of Merlin, half standing, half sitting, obviously trying to pull himself up.

"Come on, you idiot." He said, his voice gentler than Merlin was used to. He grabbed hold of one of his arms and pulled him to his feet, carefully minding the cuts on his wrist and trying not to aggravate the burn. As gentle as Arthur was trying to be, Merlin still cried out in pain, going even paler than before. It worried Arthur to see how deathly white he was; it was as if the wound was getting worse.

At Merlin's yelp, Gaius followed Arthur around the boulder but at the angle the two were at, he saw nothing wrong. Apart from the fact that Arthur was helping Merlin up, the boy looked fine, save the few grazes across his bare back that looked like they must sting.

"Merlin?" He asked questioningly, "Are you alright?"

Gaius was sure that the look Arthur was giving him was one of warning, as if trying to prepare him for something but the physician couldn't work out what could possibly be wrong.

But then Merlin turned round.

Gaius had seen many unpleasant things in all of his years as court physician, but the state that Merlin was in meant that he actually took a few steps back in horror.

Nearly every part of him was covered in blood, starting from his feet. Compared to everything else, Merlin hadn't noticed that every step he had taken meant that sharp rocks had been driving in to his exposed feet, leaving a trail of blood behind him. Then there was the burn spread painfully across his torso, the 'A' looking extremely painful as the magic within it still worked its evil way into his skin.

As Gaius's eyes roamed further up, he saw the numerous cuts along his arms from where the shackles had cut in, a pathway of blood leading down to his wrists, bruised and sore. One of his hands was more severely bruised than the other, making it look like Merlin had had a fight with a wall, not to mention the purpling skin around his neck from where Claton had choked him. No wonder Arthur had been trying to warn him…

"Merlin!" Gaius was shocked to find that his voice came out as barely more than a croak, but Arthur quickly took control of the situation. Leading his servant over to a boulder, he forced Merlin to sit, ignoring the protests he received for his efforts.

"Will he be able to make it back to Camelot like that?" He asked, needing to work out his next course of action. If he could get Merlin to safety with Gaius looking after him, it would leave Arthur free to deal with Claton.

"Don't even think about it." Merlin suddenly interrupted his thoughts, sounding rather firm.

"About what?" Arthur replied innocently, knowing that his servant had figured out what he was planning and was not happy about it.

"He's beaten you every time you've gone against him today. In fact, last time he very nearly killed you. You can't be serious about going against him again!" Merlin exasperated.

"He probably has a headache at the moment." Arthur replied, determined not to accept what was coming out of Merlin's mouth as common sense, even though he knew full well that it was, "By the way, I suppose I ought to thank you for that. Besides, this time I'm armed. He'll be no match for me."

"Arthur, _he_ is a _sorcerer_" Merlin responded emphatically to get his point across. Inside however, he was wincing, knowing that he was talking about a magic user with the same tone that Uther used, despite being one himself.

"How observant you are, Merlin." An icy cold voice sounded from behind Arthur, causing all three of them to spin around in shock. Gaius stepped protectively in front of the young warlock and Arthur held the sword out in front of him, determined not to be caught unawares for the third time. Claton stood in the entrance of the cave, looking livid, magic already dancing across his fingertips. To Merlin's extreme satisfaction, there was an ugly bruise across his chin, the same shape as his fist.

"Gaius," Arthur muttered, not taking his eyes of the man in front of him, "Get Merlin out of here."

"I don't think so." Claton responded and sent a stream of magic towards the physician, causing him to fall awkwardly. As Arthur's back was to him, Merlin quickly intervened and with a flash of his eyes and slowed Gaius's fall considerably, meaning he hit the ground gently.

"Looks like someone's feeling better." Claton continued mockingly, watching in delight as the fear reappeared in Merlin's eyes. Arthur, oblivious as always as to what was happening around him, decided that Claton had done enough talking and so lunged at his enemy, wielding his sword with perfection.

If it had been any ordinary person, Arthur would have killed them then and there. But Claton was far from ordinary. Just as Arthur lunged, he simply vanished into thin air, causing the prince to stumble. Arthur spun round, confusion covering his face as he looked questioningly at his companions. Gaius was looking astounded at the display of magic but Arthur only assumed that was because he hadn't seen it for years. He had no idea that Gaius was a witness to magic almost every day…

Just as Arthur opened his mouth to question the whereabouts of Claton, the sorcerer reappeared directly behind Merlin.

Before Arthur could act, one arm had encircled the boy's neck and he roughly pulled Merlin to his feet, causing him to flinch painfully and cry out as the 'A' on his chest was jolted. Backing away, Claton pulled Merlin with him, watching Arthur with careful, calculating eyes. Afraid to move, both Arthur and Gaius could only watch as the pair slowly disappeared from sight, back into the accursed darkness of the cave.

Almost as soon as they disappeared, Arthur set off at a run, Gaius following as best he could. Just before they reached the opening, a voice could be heard. Arthur was sure it sounded like Merlin but the strangeness of the words made him decide that it couldn't have possibly been.

"Eximo." The voice sounded again, shortly followed by two loud thuds.

Arthur burst into the cave to find both Merlin and Claton lying on the floor. He rushed over to his friend and helped him up, the edge of his sword not leaving Claton. Claton glared up at him.

"Do you really think that I would let you win, that I wouldn't have some sort of insurance? You see Merlin here? Notice that little mark on his chest? All I have to do is say 'strenuus' and now you can't kill me."

As soon as Claton spoke the curse, Merlin collapsed in Arthur's arms. Arthur gently lowered him to the floor and watched in concern as Gaius bent over him.

"The wound's infected. It seems to be magical, as if something has taken a hold of him, making him feverous." Gaius reported after a second of examining the burn.

Claton climbed to his feet but Arthur refused to move his sword from his neck.

"You could just say that I'm in his head. You kill me; you kill Merlin at the same time. It's up to you, prince." The sorcerer sneered, a leer of malice spreading over his face.

Arthur could feel his hand holding the sword shaking, yet he refused to lower his guard. He forced Claton further back into the cave with the tip of his weapon dug into his enemy's neck, painfully aware that the sorcerer was only humouring him. After all, Arthur couldn't figure a way out of this one, not without killing Merlin – something that he was _not_ prepared to do.

"Let him go." Arthur adjured the sorcerer, his voice dripping with hatred, "Let him go or you will die the _most_ painful death than _anyone_ can imagine."

"No." Claton replied, his voice cold, "If I don't let him go, then that slow and painful death will be Merlin's as well."

Arthur continued to force Claton to move, not quite knowing why. Somehow, it made him feel like he was in control of the situation that was rapidly slipping from his grasp. Gaius watched the pair of them, one hand on Merlin's brow, anxiously trying to determine whether there was a change in his condition.

Suddenly, Gaius felt a hand grip his arm, making the physician start. He looked down to see Merlin's eyes wide open, an internal battle raging within them.

"Kill him." He whispered hoarsely, every word a giant effort, "I'm stronger than he thinks; he hasn't got the hold over me he would like to believe. You have to kill him before he kills Arthur."

As soon as the warlock finished speaking his eyes shut and the fever once again took hold. Gaius glanced frantically around him, looking for anything that might enable to him to kill the sorcerer. He saw a pile of Merlin's belongings on the floor next to him where he had dropped them – the _breadcrumbs_as Claton had called them. Lying in the midst of them, a sword glimmered in the dim light. Gaius barely remembered picking it up, yet he was sure that he had seen it lying in Arthur's room and felt some desire to take it with him. Looking down on it, the aged physician was glad that he had.

Gripping the hilt Gaius carefully pulled the sword out from the pile of Merlin's clothes, his hand fitting it perfectly. He shifted his grip so that the sword rested comfortably in his grasp, even after all of these years without wielding one.

Gaius carefully made his way to his feet, anxious to not draw attention to himself, and crept over to where Arthur and Claton were trading insults.

"Maybe Merlin's willing to sacrifice himself to stop you." Arthur was saying as Gaius stole behind Claton, unnoticed.

"You really think he's that brave?" The sorcerer responded, "That he would give his life-" Arthur watched in amazement as Claton stopped mid-sentence and his face took on one of surprise. His mouth formed a slight 'o' as he looked down at his chest. Arthur followed his gaze and was stunned to see the tip of a sword poking through, a sword he recognised as his own. As Claton collapsed into a heap on the floor, Arthur was even more shocked to see Gaius standing behind him, the hilt of the blood-smeared sword in his hand.

"Gaius?" Arthur asked, his views of the old physician changing considerably, "Did you seriously just…MERLIN!" The prince broke his own sentence off as he remembered Claton's threats and sprinted back to where Merlin was lying.

Dropping to his knees, Arthur grabbed his friend's wrist, frantically feeling for a pulse. With his own blood pounding in his ears, Arthur couldn't make out whether he could feel one or not and suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of loss encase him.

"Come on, Merlin" He implored the still body in front of him, "You can't leave me now, you idiot. You can't die! I…I…forbid you to die! There you go; you can't disobey a direct order from me! You can't die." Arthur knew that he was gabbling and squeezed his eyes shut in dismay.

He could feel Gaius's steady hand on his back, reassuring him but yet as much as it helped, it wasn't enough, and the prince felt as if he was being torn apart. He had no idea that Merlin meant that much to him, he had only known the boy for a matter of weeks but yet, with the realisation that he was losing him, Arthur also discovered what it meant to have a real friend.

"Since when did I obey you?"

Arthur's eyes snapped open and he took a long look at the figure in front of him. Merlin gave him a small smile as he took deep shuddering breaths, looking as if he couldn't inhale enough oxygen.

"MERLIN!" Arthur couldn't have yelled his name louder if he'd tried, yet he was so delighted to see those familiar blue eyes looking back up at him with their usual warmth even that didn't seem to be enough for the ecstatic prince. Merlin couldn't believe that this was the same Arthur, the same annoying prat that liked to mess up his room as a punishment for being late. Arthur pulled him up into a sitting position, ignoring the winces that came with it and continued to stare at his servant, as if expecting him to vanish suddenly and find that this was all a dream.

"Is he really alive, Gaius?" Arthur asked. When he received no answer, he looked round at Gaius, then back at Merlin. The expressions on their faces were identical; complete disbelief, as if querying Arthur's sanity.

Anxious to try and change the subject, Merlin decided to cut in before Arthur did something even weirder.

"How did you find us, Gaius?"

"I followed the breadcrumbs." The physician answered. As he and Arthur shared a meaningful look; it was Merlin's turn to feel completely confused. Breadcrumbs? What were they talking about?

"Come on." Gaius continued, taking charge of the situation, "It's time you two were getting back home before Uther tears the whole castle up looking for you, Arthur."

Arthur groaned as he remembered his father's attitude beforehand. He was sure that it wouldn't have improved after having Arthur vanish from a locked cell. Glancing at Merlin who nodded encouragingly, Arthur took a deep breath, stood up and lead the way back out of the cave.

**Wow, can't believe that there is only one more chapter to go after this! :)**


	16. Chapter 15

One hand clutched the gaping wound in his chest, the other being put to use pull the dying sorcerer across the floor. The pain had originally been unbearably, but a quick spell had put an end to that. Bet Merlin wished he knew that one, the twisted man thought to himself as he reached his destination.

Just within his reach, the gnarled hand grabbed at the fabric that was fluttering teasingly. On the third attempt, he managed to catch hold of it and pulled it towards him, smirking in what could be considered relief when he saw that it was Merlin's scarf. By glancing down at himself, Claton did a quick calculation of how much time he had left in this world, before letting go of the wound. Wrapping both hands around the material, Claton's lips formed quick and frantic words as he desperately said his last spell. His last chance of survival. Blue light shot out of his hands and into the fabric, momentarily making it glow before fading back to its usually dull colour. Job done, Claton let out his last explosive breath, laughing manically the whole time. Even in death, they couldn't stop him.

*

"Come on, Merlin." Arthur yelled over his shoulder. He could hear the clumsy servant fighting his way through the undergrowth somewhere behind him, "I would have thought you'd want to get out of the castle for a bit."

Merlin groaned as he managed to get more and more tangled in the dense bushes. It had been six weeks since their return and this was the first time he had been allowed outside the castle walls. Gaius had strictly forbidden him to even get out of bed for the first few weeks. This was fine to start with but once the initial pain had gone, Merlin had got bored. He must have memorised nearly his whole spell book by this point and even though Gwen constantly visited and his mother continually made all of his favourite foods, he wanted to be out and about again.

Arthur hadn't fared a lot better, although he at least had been allowed out of his room. Uther had been furious that his son had gone after the sorcerer after all and it didn't matter how much all three of them tried to explain that Claton had taken Arthur against his will, the prince had been banned from any expeditions outside of Camelot. To save everyone in the castle, the king had at least allowed his son to train but after six weeks, Merlin wasn't the only one who was fed up.

Since their return, the two of them had found that they could be a lot more open with one another than before. They had accepted that they were friends, much to Gaius's delight and so Arthur had spent many hours by Merlin's bedside during his recovery, swapping amusing tales with both his servant, Gaius and Hunith. He now had some fantastic blackmail material for Merlin, but that was to be saved for another time, as finally, their guardians had allowed the boys out and to Merlin's horror; Arthur decided that they were going to celebrate their newfound freedom by going hunting. Hence why Merlin was now entangled in a bush in the middle of a forest with no idea where they were – Arthur's idea of heaven.

"Only you could manage to get tangled in that tiny little bush, Merlin." Arthur's face reappeared and with one swing of his sword cut his servant free from the bush, sending him sprawling in the process.

As Merlin lay on the hard ground, quickly thinking of a way that he could get revenge on the prince for making him look like a fool, _again_, he froze. It was so brief that he wasn't sure that he had really heard anything, but he could have sworn that he heard a chuckle from somewhere. It was not a friendly one, it was the type that chilled the very blood within you and sounded horribly familiar.

Sheathing his sword with a grin, Arthur decided that as Merlin hadn't moved from his position on the floor, he must need a hand. Reaching down, he lifted the boy back onto his feet by the back of his collar, all in one hand.

"You really are completely hopeless." He told him, watching the younger boy brush the dirt from himself.

"And you really are a prat." Merlin added in response, an idea springing into his head at the same moment. Knowing Arthur the way that he did, he could almost guess what the prince's next move would be.

"You may have decided that you are the only one who can call me that but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you. Even if you do have a super punch…" Arthur playfully punched Merlin in the ribs who immediately doubled over, wincing.

"Oh, sorry," Arthur cried, feeling like an idiot for forgetting the state of his servant's chest, "here, let me help you."

He rushed forward to help his servant straighten up but in his worry didn't notice the strategically placed foot and was sent flying. He looked up from the ground, bewildered and saw Merlin standing over him, a grin spreading from ear to ear.

"Now we're even." He said and offered his hand to pull the prince up. Arthur was in shock; Merlin had actually managed to trip him up.

_That's what happens when you worry about servants_, he thought to himself as he was pulled to his feet and immediately set about planning his own revenge.

Maybe things hadn't changed that much between the two of them after all…

**The end...**

**... or is it...**

**mwhhaaaa!**

**Yep, i'm going to admit it right now-i've got a sequel planned! only don't hold your breath, i haven't even started writing it yet-only just had the idea for it!**

**Want to say a HUGE thank you to MagicbyMerlin who managed to sit and crawl through all of my mistakes to make this readable-applause to you, my friend!**

**and also to all of you who have taken the time to review and tell me what you have thought-every single review means so much to me-thank you all so very very much!**

**so, until next time then...**


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